The Beginning Of A Dark Era
by Crescent Moon -Jessica151294
Summary: When Evil becomes victorious in the Great Battle, the Tomb Raider and the Demon Hunter get lost into a dark world, where shadows dwell and demons reign. Hidden truths will be disclosed and betrayal will no be absent in this endless search for Salvation…
1. Prologue

**Prologue **

_I used to love this life. I used to be a lively person and feel grateful to be alive. I used to be happy as the sun was rising and as I watched the blue sky above me. Not anymore. It's over. I have seen the sun descend for ever as it was shining for the last time. I have seen death before my eyes. Death in its most hideous form. I have seen a War of Shadows taking place right in front of me. I have seen all hope gone. The only thing that kept me fighting; Hope. I'd give everything just to bring hope back to life. Just to feel the warmth of sun on my skin again. Just to see blue sky above me. Just to hear laughter of happiness once again. Just one more time. I miss the old world. The world of light. Now I am swallowed by a world of Darkness, Blood and Shadows. Shadows everywhere stalking my every move, killing every trace of hope, taking my every breath. There is nothing anymore. _

_It's Over. _

_Lara Croft_

Darkness.

The sky was black. Shadows wandering in a world that hasn't seen a crystal blue sky for a very long time. An abandoned monastery was on the crest of a tall mountain, waiting for sunshine. Mists were haunting the lost souls. Souls that had been swallowed by darkness. There was nothing more but darkness. It was so suffocating. There wasn't anyone there to save the World from Shadows. The Rise of Salvation had long faded. The only thing that could be seen in this forsaken world was Darkness.

Lara Croft was standing out of a small hut, waiting for someone to come. She was standing with her face straight to the dark sky, waiting for something to happen. Something that would save her from obscurity.

It had been a long time since she had fought against Darkness. Fighting with the Light Of Truth. She could hardly remember how the Real World was like. She tried so hard but couldn't remember. She had fought with her soul. She tried so hard. So hard to save a world that was already led astray. Maybe it was obsession. Maybe it was pride. But she was sure it was for love. Longing to save the ones she loved. Longing to give justice to the souls of the ones she loved and had been lost or died.

Standing there, Lara Croft tried to remember a World once fallen in Light. _How did we come to this place? How did we get so far?_ She wondered to herself. While waiting, she tried to recall what had happened.

Closing her eyes she finally saw sun, blue sky… Images of the Real World flashed in her mind. Smiling she remembered what had actually happened.

These words echoed in her mind

_How did we get so far?_


	2. We're at War

**Hello everybody! First of all, I would like to thank en-lumine and gyikhu for their fast reviews! Thank you very much, I hope I won't let you down... ;-)**

**Then, I'd like to let you know that there may be some mistakes as I'm Greek and the English language is not easy for us Greeks to learn. If there are any mistakes, I'm so sorry. I did try my best as this fanfic has undergone huge changes and I still try my best to improve the following chapters! :-) Please read and review but bear in mind that this is my first attempt to write a Tomb Raider fanfic...**

**Note: I do not own any Tomb Raider characters except Alexander, who was created by me! :-)**

**Note 2: There may be some points that seem like cliffhangers but this was deliberate so everyone could come up with their own theory about how this 'Crystal Shard' was acquired and how Karel got trapped in hell and escaped etc... Just read and make up your own theories...! ;-)**

**So here's chapter one!**

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><p><em>~ I would like to dedicate this fanfic to my best friends; Mary, who helped me write this story with her crazy imagination and fascinating ideas, and Konstantina, who persuaded me to post this story! Thank you, girls..! ;-) ~<em>

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: We're at War<strong>

_We found the Crystal Shard, a shard that gives great power to its owner. A powerful weapon against the Cabal and their Nephilim army. Only Lara can use it to gain power and fight the Darkness with us. I'm the last of my order, a secret brotherhood against the Nephilim and the Cabal; Lux Veritatis. The day has come. The Great Battle is about to happen very soon. With the help of the ones devoted to Light, we will fight them. Orders and brotherhoods based on the LV will finally join forces and will make Salvation rise. We're gonna end this, once and for all. Then you will be able to rest in peace, father. I will make the Light of Truth rise. Don't worry, I'll take care of it all. Just rest in peace._

_Kurtis Trent_

"Is everything all right?" Lara's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Fine. Are we there yet?" he replied.

"We'll arrive in about ten minutes" she let him know. "Are you okay back there? Zip, Winston?"

"Fine, Lara. But what is going to happen? Why do we have to hide? And where are you going to go?" Zip's many questions brought Lara a headache.

"Just be patient" she told him. She smiled to herself. The way Zip made those random questions reminded her of Alister. She still felt guilty for his death but she tried to let it go and move on.

Berlin. The capital of Germany was always busy and noisy. The sun was on its highest point and the weather was way too hot for the month of January. A car was heading for a deserted valley outside the capital. Lara was driving fast. The sooner the better she thought to herself. Kurtis was sitting in the seat right beside her staring at the picturesque scenery out of the window. He had a strange feeling that this was the last time he would see the sun shining…

Zip and Winston were on the behind seats. They didn't actually know what was about to happen. No matter how hard they tried to find out, Lara and Kurtis wouldn't tell them the significance of the situation.

They finally reached their destination. Lara and Kurtis got out of the car after Lara had pulled the car-engine off. Zip and Winston imitated their moves.

"This is it, isn't it?" Lara said.

"Yes" Kurtis simply replied.

He stood several steps away from the car and raised his hands. He started whispering some Latin words. Lara just stood looking at him, knowing what was about to follow after his whispering. Zip and Winston just didn't know what to do. Their minds were racing to come up with an answer. Lara knew exactly how they felt. They felt the way she had felt when she found out about the Shadow War.

The War between the Cabal and the Lux Veritatis.

"Let's say that I want to protect my good friends before the…" a pause.

"Before what Lady Croft?" Winston asked her. Even in the emergencies, he didn't lose his respect and loyalty to her. Lara had asked him several times to call her by her name and that he was like a father for her but he wouldn't change that habit. She finally answered "Something very bad is going to happen and I want you two out of this. Don't tell anything to Hilary and Bryce. As long as they know nothing about the Shadow War, they're safe. But you two know a couple of things that you shouldn't and I don't intend to take that risk. We'll hide you in a secret temple of the Lux Veritatis so you will be safe. Me and Kurtis will take care of the rest"

"But Lara, we want to help" Zip said.

Winston was about to say something but a sudden clatter interrupted him.

Kurtis approached them. He smiled as he saw the fright in Zip's and Winston's face. Lara smiled as well.

Suddenly an enormous temple appeared in front of them right out of the blue. The temple was decorated with various symbols of the Lux Veritatis. Giant golden gates appeared in front of them.

"Welcome to the Secret Temple of the Lux Veritatis Order" Lara said with a smile.

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><p>The temple was like three or four Croft Manors in one. How could a giant temple such as this one stay hidden so well? That was something that everyone would wonder. The inside of the temple was very magnificent. Big libraries, magnificent decoration and enormous rooms everywhere. It was a big and extremely beautiful palace.<p>

A man appeared out of the gorgeous alleys. He was about sixty years old, with long white hair and a welcoming look on his face. He might be old but he could definitely defend himself. He was well-built and there was a permanent look of determination on his face.

"Lara! Kurtis! I'm glad to see you again. I'm bored in this place you know. And who are your friends?" he said

Once they said hello Lara introduced Zip and Winston to him.

"Lads, this is Alexander. He has been helping us all along. We wouldn't do much without him"

"Don't stand like that, come in. Can I offer you something?" Alexander said.

"Actually we don't have time for that. It's time" Kurtis interrupted him. By the look on his face Alexander could understand that the things were serious.

"We have spent so much time together but I have never seen you so worried before, son. What is it? It's time for what?"

Alexander was a devoted helper of Konstantin Heissturm, Kurtis' father. He would help him in every battle against the Cabal. When he died, Alexander took on the role of training his son. Kurtis. He helped him complete his training and helped him get through his father's death. Kurtis considered him his mentor and knew he had played an important role for the LV.

There was a long silence until Lara broke it. "It's time Alexander. For the Great Battle. We found the Crystal Shard. The prophecy is already fulfilled. Karel is on earth again. He had been trapped in Hell all along but he somehow escaped. It may be our fault but it doesn't matter now. We have to-"

"This has nothing to do with you, Lara. You've helped us so much and we're grateful to you, but this is something we have to deal with. Not you" Alexander interrupted her.

"I don't think you believe that I'll be wandering around doing nothing while you fight the Cabal. If this is on your mind, forget it" said Lara.

"But-"

"I said forget it!" Lara said raising the tone of her voice.

"Look, I think he's right. It was a mistake that I brought you into this"

Kurtis said to her.

"I think we've already talked about that. I'm not gonna let you do this alone" she said. There was a pause for a while as Lara and Kurtis were staring at each other's eyes. Kurtis knew she wasn't going to let him do this alone although she knew it had nothing to do with her. But it was hard for him. He was afraid that he would watch her die in front of his eyes. He wouldn't bear it. He couldn't even think about it. He loved her too much to let her get killed. He loved her overly.

Lara knew that she was too weak for this War as a human being. But she couldn't let him do this by himself. She had lost him in the past because she didn't stay to fight beside him. She had gone only because he had asked her to. It was the same situation. But she wouldn't make the same mistakes again. She loved him too much to lose him again. She loved him overly.

She finally said without breaking eye contact with Kurtis "Zip, Winston, you're going to stay here. The place has everything you need. Alexander, you're going to come with us. The Great Battle is about to happen very soon"

There was a tough look on her face but Kurtis was the only one who could make out a sensitive aspect on her look. He broke eye contact and said "Call the devoted to Light ones. Every order or brotherhood that is based on the Lux Veritatis. We have an army to create"

Alexander looked at him with determination and said with a cheerful tone

"Will do, son"

Alexander turned to face Winston and Zip, who started realising what was going on.

"Be careful. Once the Battle is done, there's no turning back" he said to them.

"We're at War"


	3. Army of Light and Army of Darkness

**Hi again! Quick update this time! It's because, as I said on my profile, this story is already complete and written 'till the end... It's just undergoing some changes..!**

**Note: All characters, apart from Alexander, belong to Eidos... Alexander though, is mine! In addition, the name Heissturm is Kurtis' real family name. It's the official name, according to the KTEB. Information was finally provided by Murti Schofield.**

**Note 2: The lyrics at the end of the chapter are from the song 'Forsaken' by Within Temptation, which was much of inspiration for me to write this chapter! I do not own the rights of the song!**

**Here's the next chapter...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Army of Light and Army of Darkness<strong>

_The time has come. I never thought it would come so fast. Years have gone by really fast. I wish Konstantin was here to see his son rebuilding the Order he left behind with his tragic and sudden death. I'm sure Kurtis wishes that too. Konstantin would be so proud of him._

_Forgive him for his mistakes and faults, Konstantin. He was so young. He didn't even know what he was fighting for. He didn't leave you. He didn't betray the Lux Veritatis. He was just forced to live a life he never wished to. He needed to get away from all the shadows of the Order's past, but now he's here. Ready to fight 'till the end. Give him strength and guidance. He needs you by his side now. He's fighting your own war and he's trying to correct your own mistakes. Please help him. Guide him. Forgive him._

_ Alexander_

Paris, Prague, Vienna, Copenhagen, Moscow…

Every single brotherhood of every single place of Europe arrived at the Lux Veritatis temple in Berlin. The members of these organizations were to become helpers of the Lux Veritatis. Kurtis was the leader of them all, as the last living link to the Order. He encouraged them to fight in the name of the Light of Truth and trained them by assuming his father's role as the Master of the Lux Veritatis. He could finally see that his attempts of rebuilding the Order were prospering. Kurtis had tried so hard to rebuild the Order countless times in the past, but he could not find devoted members that fought for Justice and not for selfish desires. He had just found what he had been looking for. Lara had been supporting him all along and never left his side. Kurtis trained her too and taught her how to be stronger and many other useful things.

Once they were ready, once the time for the Battle finally arrived, they left the temple, leaving the innocent ones behind. Kurtis was leading the soldiers of Light and Lara was right beside him. Alexander was right behind them and behind him, the brand new Lux Veritatis Order, recreated.

As they were walking, Kurtis looked at her, deep in her eyes and told her "I wouldn't have made it without you. Thank you"

She smiled to him and said "I'm sure you would do just fine. I would have done much more than this for the sake of the Order"

He smiled at her.

Looking ahead they kept walking. Determination was ruling their minds.

"We will fight and we will win" Alexander's loud voice echoed all over the place.

The soldiers behind him agreed in a loud manner.

Lara's heart was beating fast. She knew she was going to face things that she had never seen before. This Battle was of much significance and she had to win at all costs. That was the future of mankind. This was one of the rare times she had admitted to herself that she was scared of what was lying ahead. But she didn't care. She wouldn't forsake Kurtis. Especially after all these things they had lived together. She would be right beside him 'till the end. She wasn't afraid of dying.

Kurtis felt complete. Like parts of himself were found again. He could sense the possibility of death, just like in the Foreign Legion. As a soldier there, he knew that the possibility of his demise was not absent but he was still going on. This had made him stronger. His years in the Legion had helped him cope with similar situations, such as this one. Now it was the time when he felt the Blood of Heissturm flowing through his veins. He felt that the part of him that was taken along with his father's death, was within him again. He felt like he had finally fulfilled his purpose of life and that when it was all over he could put an end to all this… if he survived this war. Despite those bitter thoughts, her presence made him feel even stronger.

With all these thoughts filling their minds, Lara Croft and Kurtis Trent looked into each other's eyes giving strength to each other. They entwined their hands as they were walking to face their enemies.

Looking ahead, the two warriors walked without hesitation, leading the new Lux Veritatis Order.

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><p>The ones devoted to Dark Forces were united once again to conflict their common enemy; The Lux Veritatis.<p>

The powerful organisation of Cabal gathered in Arnsberg, Germany to form their grand masses of Nephilim armies. They followed their now dead Master's tactics to create a great army of Nephilim. With prayers to the Black Alchemist and dark rituals, they were finally ready to defeat the Warriors of Light. There was just one more thing to be done.

The members of this dark order were now shaping a big circle. A man was standing in the middle of it.

One of them approached the man and said "Are you ready, master?"

"Just get me out of this stupid form and bring my real body to me" the enigmatic man ordered.

Once they were ready, they started performing the ritual. They called the Shadows of the Underworld to rise and help their leader find his true form again. Suddenly mists covered the whole place and winged shadows appeared. The darkest of them was floating above the man in the middle when it finally got into him. The man started screaming loudly and mists covered him. Afterwards, all the shadows and all the mists disappeared. When the man in the middle was finally visible, he had a completely different form than the previous one. He had blond hair and many symbols of the Nephilim were scratched on his skin. The Cabal members finally recognised him.

"Master Karel will be leading us in the Battle against those foolish Veritatis warriors. Our order will finally rise. We will rule the world and we will become immortal. We will have unlimited power" said loudly one of the members. Everyone agreed loudly and cheerfully.

"We have to go to Berlin" Karel stated, more to himself than to everyone around him.

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><p>Huge masses of members of the dark order were walking to face their enemies. The leader of them was walking in front of them. Only one thing was on his mind: Revenge.<p>

"I will have my revenge. Your death has finally come" he whispered to himself, the faces of Lara and Kurtis flashing through his mind.

The Dark Order was standing near the ruins of a castle. After a while, they saw huge masses coming their way. The Order of Light approached them. Karel immediately recognised Lara and Kurtis. They were the first ones walking, with hands entwined. They seemed determined and like nothing was about to stop them from getting what they wanted. He smiled to himself. _My revenge draws near. Finally_ Karel thought.

The Lux Veritatis Order reached the ruined castle. Kurtis and Lara stood there, looking at their common enemy with eyes full of rage and hatred. They could see that their enemies were three or four times more than they were.

"Happy to see me again?" Karel's voice echoed.

"You have no idea. I'm gonna enjoy killing you with my own bare hands" Kurtis replied, full of wrath.

"Really? Too bad I'll have to kill your beloved partner first" the Nephilim replied.

"You really think that your bloody creatures can frighten me? You're dead wrong" Lara said to him.

"You're very stubborn Croft. Just like Trent. Too bad that such strength is going to be wasted" Karel said to her. _You could have joined me_, he thought.

Then Lara told him "We will fight. And you will die, that's for sure". Her words were full of wrath.

This was it. The Great Battle between the Cabal and the Lux Veritatis had finally arrived. This was the day the Shadow War would finally end, according to the prophecies.

"Now the day has come

We are forsaken

There's no time anymore

Now the day has come,

The day has come

The Day Has Come…"


	4. The Great Battle

Thanks for the kind words of the reviewers, really! I'd like to note that there is a quite elaborate description of vilolence, just to let you know!

**Inspiration songs: Planet Hell and End Of All Hope, both by the band Nightwish!**

So here's the next chapter!

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: The Great Battle<strong>

_Lara, as a little girl, was always a happy person. She was always excited about her father's achievements and adventures. She loved her mother very much. Unfortunately, when she was nine years old she had a tragic accident in Nepal which took her mother away from her. Ever since, she was cold and cruel even to her father; they would never get on well. When he got missing in Cambodia, Lara decided to follow his footsteps and find the cause of all this. After finding the truth by entering Avalon, she took on meaningless tasks but at least she was happy again. Not anymore. She became that cold woman I cannot recognise again. Just like after she returned from Prague. She was aggressive and cared only about revenge. The Shadow War made her become cruel and heartless. I miss the fallen in Light Lara. Now she is lost in Shadows once again._

_Winston Smith_

Light and Darkness were about to have their last battle on those forsaken lands. Good and Evil were about to end their eternal war once and for all. As the time was coming, the skies started to change. The sun was gone as a solar eclipse had just taken place, hiding every sunshine.

With a last glance to their enemies, the Dark side attacked. Dark soldiers ran straight to the Warriors of Light, having only one purpose: to kill them. The soldiers of Light ran to the direction of the Cabal members before many of them became prey of the ugly creatures. As soon as the first souls floated away from the batlefield, a red moon ascended to the skies, illuminating everything with a blood-red light. The ground soon took the colour of the liquid that was spilled out of the lying bodies.

_This world ain't ready to be saved_ Lara thought and with a loud scream, she immediately ran to the direction of her hated enemy. She was desperately trying to get close to him but the army of dark creatures prevented her from doing this. Her partner helped her by killing every Nephilim that managed to approach her. Finally, she reached Karel and attempted to attack. Her effort was in vain as her enemy with a sudden move of his arm, threw her to the ground with a great amount of power.

As soon as Kurtis realised that Lara had fallen on the blood-painted ground, he tried to reach Karel as well. After killing every Nephilim that was blocking his way to his direction, he managed to reach Karel. He took his Chirugai from his belt and wielded it. He made it spin right to Karel's direction and it cut him. It was all in vain, though. Black blood spilled from his scratch but that was all. It didn't make any damage to him. Furious, Karel headed for Kurtis' direction. When Lara gained her consciousness, she realised that her enemy was about to hit Kurtis. _The Crystal Shard_ she thought at once. She took it out of her backpack and she would have used it against Karel but a Nephilim beast beat her hard and she accidentally dropped it. She managed to kill that Nephilim creature after shooting it several times with her dual pistols. Now she had to find the Shard. It could be anywhere. The dead bodies lying on the floor and the pool of blood they had created didn't help Lara at all. However, she decided to search for it.

Karel had an angry look on his face but so had Kurtis. They would now fight 'till one of them fell dead on the ground. The red full moon was right above them and a second sphere resembling the moon had just started ascending. This one was deep yellow. The ruins of the abandoned castle started floating. It was like the castle had suddenly come to life.

With a stretch of his right arm, Karel sent a strong lightning against Kurtis but he managed to dissipate it with telekinesis. As they were approaching each other, Kurtis' soul became full of anger and wrath. All he wanted was revenge for the things he had lost because of him. That was something Kurtis called justice. He wielded his Chirugai again, this time aiming at his enemy's throat. Karel somehow manage to control the Chirugai and threw it on the ground. He tried to strike him with lightning again but Kurtis with an unexpected move managed to dodge it.

Kurtis intended to punch him but the thing he saw next made him stop. Karel had turned into Konstantin's form. He was just like his father.

"Coward" Kurtis yelled at him.

"You consider me a coward, uh?" Karel answered him.

"Only a coward would hide in different forms" Kurtis replied him.

"Okay then, since it hurts too much and you're too weak…" Karel said and turned into his real form.

"I'm not weak!" Kurtis shouted.

"If you are neither a coward, nor weak, you won't be afraid to face me without any supernatural powers. Unless you're afraid of course" he continued.

"Okay then" Kurtis said angrily.

Now they would face each other without any supernatural powers. Their only weapon would be their determination and their hunger for revenge. Whose desire for vengeance was greater?

"I'll make you suffer just like the father you forsook" Karel's voice sounded threatening in Kurtis' ears.

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><p>Alexander knew various spells against darkness. He used many of them to kill as many Cabal members and Nephilim creatures as possible. He killed an admirable amount of enemies. His luck didn't last for a long time though. He tried to defend himself but the Cabal members weakened him with dark rituals. He collapsed on the ground powerless. Nephilim creatures were standing above him, ready to end his life. Alexander felt that this was the last time he would see this damned world. He was wrong. At the exact moment the creatures would devour Alexander, a strong crystal light knocked them down. In surprise, Alexander recognised Lara with the Crystal Shard shining in her right hand. She ran and kneeled beside him in order to help him but Alexander immediately stopped her.<p>

"I'll be fine Lara. Go! Go help Kurtis. He needs you more than I do" he ordered her. She obeyed and ran to find and help Kurtis.

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><p>With fists in the air, Kurtis was ready to knock down the man he loathed the most. Karel was ready to have his revenge, the thing he had been waiting for a very long time. Kurtis made the first move. He attempted to punch his enemy on the jaw but Karel dodged Kurtis' punch with an extremely rapid move. He attempted to hit him again, successfully this time. Karel was distracted by his enemy's fist so Kurtis had the chance to knock him down. He punched him several times on the face and then with a very strong kick Karel fell on the ground. Kurtis' satisfaction was aparent. A devilish smile could reassure this. But his satisfaction didn't last. Paradoxically, Karel stood up as if he hadn't been punched at all and hit Kurtis very hard. After receiving several punches, Kurtis collapsed. Tasting the blood on his lips made him feel even more wrathful, if it was possible. With a violent move, Karel pulled Kurtis' hair so he could face him.<p>

"All your struggle is in vain. Say goodbye to this doomed world, Heissturm. A world that I'm going to rule, forever" said Karel.

Kurtis wouldn't give him the satisfaction of being scared or defeated. He just looked at him with empty eyes. Those dark blue eyes showed no trace of humane emotion. Nothing but rage. Karel rose a knife and said aloud "Kurtis Heissturm, last of the Lux Veritatis, you are sacrificed for the sake of the Shadow War"

The moment he would kill him, he got struck on his head and he fell. Lara arrived just on time and prevented Kurtis from being sacrificed. Karel stood up and forced her on the ground with an invisible force. Then he stood up and kicked her several times. Lara screamed in pain and agony.

"You've made a great mistake. You should never interfere in our war. Now you'll have to pay for this mistake. I'm afraid it'll cost you your own precious life" said Karel.

"I'm afraid it is your fucking drossy life that my mistakes will cost me. Couldn't get anything better than that" Lara said and rose the Crystal Shard. Karel was now taken by surprise.

"Frightening, isn't it?" she asked loudly as the Shard started shining. Suddenly the symbol of the Lux Veritatis appeared imprinted on her right hand. It was like a tattoo but in a faded black colour. The same symbol appeared on Kurtis' left hand too. Lara could now borrow Kurtis' powers. From the expression of his face, Lara supposed that Karel was unaware of this ability as opposed to her.

"It's over now" she said.

She wielded the Chirugai which was lying just a few meters away from her and she quickly made it spin and stabbed Karel on his back. Lara was taken by surprise; she expected him to scream in pain and fall but he did nothing but smile devilishly. Then he hit Lara and she fell. After throwing the Chirugai away, he took the Shard in his hand and said "We finally agree on one thing, Croft. It's indeed over now" and attempted to destroy the Crystal Shard, the only powerful weapon against the Nephilim that had remained.

His try was unsuccessful as Kurtis hit him hard on his head and made him drop the Shard. Karel turned to face him. Kurtis tried to run towards Lara in order to help her but he was prevented by an invisible force. Lara immediately stood up and ran to find the Shard. She searched everywhere, trying to avoid the dead soldiers of both sides that were fallen on the ground. The violent fight between the two sides incommoded Lara's task, but she finally found the Crystal Shard.

She tried to catch it but failed. Lara was in the sad position to notice that it had fallen in the wrong hands. Karel stood in front of her and Kurtis was on the ground unconscious just a few steps away from Karel, full of blood and wounds. Things weren't going well. The Master of the Lux Veritatis had been weakened and the Crystal Shard was in the wrong hands. If it was destroyed then it would be over. The Crystal Shard was the only hope.

"I will have my revenge. The last thing you're going to witness in this world is how cruel I can be" Karel screamed angrily. Lara ran towards him but she was far too late. Karel whispered some words and before Lara knew it, the Shard was destroyed.

Lara gasped in surprise and sorrow as she saw the many pieces of the Shard falling on the blood-painted ground. She realised that the thing she wished every day and every night was finally fulfilled. The Shadow War was over. Just not the way she wanted to.

It was over. The Dark side had already won this war. It was the end of all hope.

_The Darkness shall rise and the Light shall fall. The sun shall never shine again. Shadows shall dwell the earth. The world shall never see a sunrise again. So it is written and it shall be._

_Prophecy of the Lost Dominion, passage 2325_

**A/N: The prophecy is created by me, so please don't freak out! =)**


	5. Ascension of the Darkness

I would like to thank Angy1996 for her great support! Thank you very much! :-) Well, that's a very short one but the next ones will be longer, I promise! =)

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Ascension of the Darkness<strong>

_At last, our vision came to reality. Now we will be able to lead this world and make it a place which has a future. The old world would fall apart sooner or later. We visualize a world that can be developed and that doesn't dwell in the past. A new order will rule the Earth and the Nephilim race will reach its glory again. We will become immortal and will create a brand new civilization. We will create the world all from the beginning, making it a better place. Nothing can stop us now. The Shadow War finally reached the point that it should have reached a long time ago. Dark Arts will be the foundation of the New World._

_Joachim Karel_

Strange lights appeared in the dark skies. The two moons, the blood-red one and the yellow one, shone various lights but instead of making the atmosphere brighter, they made it darker. The once lively castle came to death again. There wasn't anything that reminded of life anymore. There were dead bodies everywhere. The pool of blood covered the ground and it almost covered the dead bodies.

The winner of the Great Battle was whispering some words calling the Dark Shadows from the Underworld. Lara stood there, watching the world falling apart. The sun was shining for the last time and Lara had been observing it for a long time. Kurtis gained his consciousness and stood up too. They both were staring at the sun as it was shining for the last time and it was slowly descending forever. Alexander stood up too to see the world accepting its tragic fate.

The pieces of the Crystal Shard were covered with blood. Lara and Kurtis got close to each other with tears in their eyes but they both refused to let them fall. Karel finally stopped his whispering and started floating. There was a dark cloud all around him and mists appeared on the spot he was standing earlier.

"The world is mine. Finally. You failed Lux Veritatis" and with these words he disappeared.

Lara was overwhelmed. She knew what had just happened but a part of her, deep inside her wouldn't accept that. Kurtis refused to accept the situation too. He wanted to believe that this was a nightmare and soon he would wake up in the Real World, the world he knew. It took only a few seconds for him to realise that this nightmare was his fate. Alexander was more realistic than Lara and Kurtis. He knew exactly what had happened and didn't intend to waste time thinking what it would be like if they won. They had lost. That was all that mattered. He would accept it and deal with the situation.

Alexander approached Kurtis and Lara. "I know it's hard to accept it but it's over. We lost. Admit it. There is nothing we can do anymore. Actually, there is no reason of living anymore" said Alexander almost hesitatingly. Lara and Kurtis turned to face him at this point but they said nothing. They knew he was right. Alexander turned his back on them and started walking the opposite direction.

"They died in vain. They died for MY fucking war" said Kurtis with wrath and sorrow. Then he headed for the same direction Alexander walked towards before. Lara just sighed. She watched the dead soldiers, covered with their own blood. She wanted to say something. Anything. But the things she had lived a few minutes ago were racing in her mind and didn't let her utter a word. She turned her back on the eyesore and followed Alexander and Kurtis.

Suddenly, the skies opened and magnificent angels walked down on earth. However, they were sad and nor their halos neither their wings were shining. They touched the blood-painted ground and looked around with sadness and sorrow. Then they started singing a plaintive anthem as they were touching the dead soldiers of Light. The more soldiers they touched, the more their wings turned from white to black. Their sad song made the atmosphere even heavier. When they offered salvation to the fallen ones, the skies opened again and they ascended.

Alexander was walking with hasty steps. Lara Croft and Kurtis Trent, were walking right behind him, hopeless. All the things they had done had no longer meaning. It was over. Looking at each other sadly they both understood that their Salvation had just faded.

The three of them walked into the darkness, disappearing into the Shadows.


	6. Back to Present

Thank you en-lumine, Angy1996, Metalgirl3135 and gyikhu for the great reviews! ;) They've been really supportive! So here's the next chapter! ;)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider characters but I do own Alexander!**

**Note:** Lara's words were inspired by the song Field Of Innocence by the band Evanescence... Some words of Lara's are totally alike with the song's lyrics..!

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Back to Present<strong>

_I still remember. I still remember the world from the eyes of an innocent child. I still remember the sun. There is a part of me that is still fighting the Darkness. The rest of me has given into it. There is nothing that can make me go on now. Only him. If only I could see those deep blue eyes again. My God, it's been so long since I last saw his eyes, since I last got lost into them. I hope he's okay. Otherwise this life will mean nothing to me. He's the only reason why I'm still holding on. God knows what I would sacrifice to get lost into those deep blue eyes one more time…_

_Lara Croft_

Darkness.

The sky was black. Shadows wandering in a world that hasn't seen a crystal blue sky for a very long time. An abandoned monastery was on the crest of a tall mountain, waiting for sunshine. Mists were haunting the lost souls. Souls that had been swallowed by darkness. There was nothing more but darkness. It was so suffocating. There wasn't anyone there to save the World from Shadows. The Rise of Salvation had long since faded. The only thing that could be seen in this forsaken world was Darkness.

Lara Croft opened her eyes to find herself waiting for someone just outside a wooden hut. It was the place she temporarily lived in. After a while, she could make out a figure that was heading for her direction, just out of the shadows. She got her pistols, ready to shoot in case it was an enemy. Once she recognized the figure, she sighed in relief.

The figure got close to her so he could speak to her.

"Alexander…" said Lara. Her voice was full of relief with a smile on her face.

"Hello Lara. Lovely day isn't it?" said Alexander with a sarcastic tone.

"Well at least it isn't raining again" Lara replied, full of sarcasm.

"Did you bring them?" Alexander asked.

"Yes" Lara replied and searched for her backpack. After a while, she found two little glass containers. The one contained some wine and the other one some oil. Both Lara and Alexander were aware of the fact that wine and oil were considered to heal wounds caused by Nephilim creatures. Alexander was in need of those remedies. Lara gave the glass containers to Alexander.

"So, how have you been?" she spoke, with a serious tone this time.

"Well… I admit that I have been doing nothing but hiding. What should I do, Lara? What do I have to do? Just tell me and I'll do it" said Alexander full of embarrassment and disappointment. "You?"

"Well, thanks to the symbol of the Lux Veritatis which is paradoxically still imprinted on my hand, Nephilim creatures can't harm me. I have been trying to find a way to get out of here but-"

"Lara there is no way out. When will you realize that? There isn't anything to fight for anymore. It's over. Don't you remember? No sun, no light… It's all gone" Alexander interrupted her, raising his voice, full of indignation.

Lara didn't react. She was just looking at the ground.

"I'm sorry, Lara" said Alexander, calmly this time. "It's just-"

"I know, I understand" said Lara.

"Can I ask you something?" she continued.

"Of course?"

"I was wondering… If you know…" a long pause.

"Yes, Lara?"

"How is he? Is he okay" she asked, referring to Kurtis.

Alexander looked at her, widening his eyes. He hesitated but after a while, he spoke.

"I guess it's time you learned the truth" he finally said.

"What is it? Is he alright?" she said with a worried look on her face.

"No, Lara. They captured him days ago. He is their prisoner now. Their slave"

"Who did?"

"Karel. They need his blood. The Blood of Heissturm can create a stronger race, stronger even than the Nephilim. They suck all of his blood every day and use it for experiments. Once his body has produced new, they take it too and it goes that way"

Lara was horrified. Alexander opened his mouth to say something but Lara, with a rapid move punched him on the jaw.

"Why didn't you tell me about that earlier? You kept saying to me that he's fine. Why?" she yelled at him.

Alexander didn't reply.

"WHY?" screamed Lara.

"He asked me to" Alexander finally said. He continued "He didn't want you to know. He knew that if you found out, you would search for him. He wanted to make sure you were safe"

After a short pause, he continued. "He wanted to protect you and make you get through this as painlessly as possible, Lara. He didn't want you to endure his suffering"

"You ought to have told me earlier" Lara said. She had a furious look on her face and tears were in her eyes but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. Her camouflage shorts and her black tops had still blood stains from her last battle.

"I'm sorry, Lara" Alexander said sorrowfully.

"Where is he?" she asked him in a calm yet angry manner.

"In the Castle Of Obscurity where Karel and the remaining Cabal members are" he said.

Then he turned his back on her and walked away, slowly fading into the darkness.

Lara was shocked. She never knew what Kurtis was going through. She frequently met Alexander and he always said to her that Kurtis was fine. He had been lying because Kurtis had asked him to. He didn't want from Lara to see him suffer. He knew it would be too painful for her. He wanted to protect her. That's what he had promised her when they said goodbye.

However, Lara wasn't about to let this go on. She wouldn't let Kurtis suffer like that without even trying to stop this madness. She would try to find him and save him from the Shadows. She started walking underneath the black sky. Nephilim creatures were all around her. Their screams were making her shudder but she knew she wasn't in danger. As long as the symbol of the Lux Veritatis was still imprinted on her hand, she wouldn't be harmed.

Her plan now was to find Kurtis and release him from Karel's dark plans.

* * *

><p>After finding her route to the Castle of Obscurity, Lara got into her hiding place and took her cloak. Kurtis had given it to her in order not to be seen and captured. Once she wore it, she got out, feeling ready for her new mission. She covered her head with the hood. She was ready. Ready to be woken up and revolt. She wouldn't let her enemies watch her giving up. Not without a last fight. Her last fight had to been given.<p>

_Ready_ she thought.

_~Flashback~_

_Days passed by and the sun had once again forgotten to rise. Still no sunshine. Still no sign of real life._

_"What is going to happen now?" asked Lara._

_"We're gonna face it. There's no other choice" Kurtis replied to her._

_"Aren't we going to resist? We're going to give them what they want? Surrender?"_

_"Is there anything better we can do? They'll be coming after me, Lara. I can't put your life in such danger. Maybe I'll even have to surrender and go to the Castle"_

_"For what reason? To give them what they want?" said Lara, raising her voice._

_"If this is what takes to protect you, yes" Kurtis said, raising his voice too._

_"I don't need your protection" she managed to say._

_"This isn't a game, Lara. And I don't intend to lose you because of my mistakes, my war"_

_Lara didn't say anything. Kurtis took a cloak which was lying beside him and handed it to Lara. She wore it with slow moves._

_"Why will I be needing this?" she asked._

_"To keep you safe. So that they won't recognise you"_

_"When will we meet again?"_

_"I don't think we'll see each other again"_

_"What? No! No, I won't accept that. Kurtis don't do this to me" Kurtis could see that Lara was very upset, just like him. But he tried to remain composed._

_"It's the only way__. I wish there was another way" he said._

_Lara just looked at the ground. He cupped her face with his hands and directed it with a slow manner, so she could look at him. Then he put his arms around her waist and rested his forehead on hers. Lara kept him close to her, not wanting to let him go._

_Then they kissed each other tenderly, never wanting this kiss to come to an end._

_"Kurtis you have to go. They're coming" the familiar voice of Alexander said._

_They broke off the kiss on that. Then Kurtis covered Lara's head with the hood of the cloak __with slow moves, only__ after he had planted a gentle kiss on her forehead._

_"Take care" he said with a calm voice._

_"You too" Lara replied._

_Alexander interrupted their private moment._

_"You really have to go" he said and Kurtis nodded._

_Alexander stood next to Lara, resting his palm on her shoulder._

_"Goodbye" was the last word Lara heard from Kurtis and then he walked away._

_Lara couldn't keep her composure anymore. She let her tears fall like rivers._

_"Goodbye" she managed to say._

_As Kurtis was walking away, he waved his arm with a way that reminded Lara of when he had locked her into the airlock, when they first met each other in Prague._

_Lara managed a smile and returned his gesture by imitating his move._

_Then Kurtis turned his back on her and Alexander and walked away, slowly fading away into the darkness._

_Lara was already feeling cold, weak. She felt as her soul had gone away, within him. A chilly coldness pierced her whole body and suffocating emptiness was smothering her soul. She turned back with a violent move and walked the opposite direction, leaving Alexander behind her._

_~End of Flashback~_

**A/N: I would really like to thank Angy1996 as the piece of information about the wine and the oil was provided by her, thank you very much and for your great support, it is really appreciated! =)**

**Sorry if you find any mistakes..! :)**


	7. Dark Experiments

Thank you all for the supportive reviews! *hugs* =)

I'm really enjoying my stay to the FanFic community, I should have done that earlier, it's soo fun! :P :D

Well, you may wonder about "Kurtis' Lux Veritatis symbol that is burned indelibly on his back" which is referred on this chapter... This was inspired by a dream I had when I first played AoD... I dreamt of Kurtis and the LV symbol on his back but not tattooed.. It was like burned or something... Like a deep scar with the shape of the LV symbol, probably part of the LV trials... And the dream was so vivid... So I decided to keep it that way...! Please don't hate me for this chapter, I don't hate Kurtis.. On the contrary, I really love him!

This chapter was **really** hard to write and especially find the right words in order to describe... I hope I was successful...

**Inspiration song: The Valley by the band Diary of Dreams..!  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Dark Experiments<strong>

_I feel so weak. For the first time in my fucking life, I feel defenceless. I feel like there's nothing left to do anymore. Nothing to make things better. I feel empty. Maybe it's because they have taken every single drop of my blood. Maybe it's because of the drugs they give me so I can produce new blood more rapidly. Maybe it's the chains round my wrists that keep me hanged. Maybe it's the tubes connected with my veins that take every single drop of blood of inside me. But it's mainly emptiness of soul. The absence of hope has made me weaker. But what I miss the most is those brown eyes. So dark but so much light inside them. I wish I could have protected her. I wish I could have let her out of all this. I wish I could see her one more time and then leave this doomed, empty world._

_Kurtis Trent_

Thunders were the only things that could be heard in this godforsaken castle. On the ceiling of this dark, dingy room, there was a base of two chains. A weakened figure was being hanged by them as the chains were wrapping his wrists. The last surviving member of the Lux Veritatis. His head was directed at the ground and his eyes were shut, not wanting to face this merciless world. They had taken off his shirt in order to connect the tubes with his veins. The tubes were transfusing blood to some labs. His exposed skin was full of wounds and bruises. He had been tortured. The symbol of the Lux Veritatis that was burned indelibly on his back was visible, as well as some scars that were acquired years ago.

Suddenly the door opened, making a noise too loud for Kurtis' ears. It was a Cabal member. He walked towards Kurtis, with a syringe in his right hand. He got close to Kurtis and injected him on the left shoulder. Then he checked for a pulse. He found one. It was beating fast. After that, another man walked into the room but this one was familiar to Kurtis.

"Is he ready yet?" Karel asked.

"No, not yet. He needs to produce more blood" the man replied.

"Okay then" Karel said and both of them walked out of the room.

Kurtis didn't move at all throughout this little visit. After a while, he heard the door open again but he didn't pay attention to it. It was a man. The man approached the hanging figure of Kurtis with slow steps.

"Kurtis…"

His voice was familiar. Too familiar. Kurtis raised his head to see the man who was standing in front of him. The man gasped in horror and made a step backwards. The sight in front of him made him want to walk out of this place but he didn't. After some seconds, what he felt was more pity than fear of the enemies.

Kurtis' forehead was severely wounded and blood was still flowing on his right cheek. The permanent scar near his left eye was still visible.

"Alexander…" he said weakly. He was surprised by himself; he didn't know how truly weak he was until he heard his own voice.

"Don't worry, son. I'll get you out of here" Alexander said and approached Kurtis while holding a key in order to unlock the chains round his wrists. After that, Alexander would 'unconnect' the tubes connected to his veins.

Once he finally did so, Kurtis fell powerless on the ground. Alexander helped him get up. Then he picked up Kurtis' blood stained shirt which was lying on the ground and gave it to him. Kurtis wore it extremely slowly as his body was aching. He was too exhausted.

"She knows. I was forced to tell her. She is probably searching for you right now" Alexander informed him. Kurtis wasn't really happy to hear that but he was too weak to react.

"Get out of here" Kurtis managed to say with a cruel and heartless tone. "I'll take care of them" he continued.

"No Kurtis. You're too weak. I'll deal with them. You get out of here. She wants nothing more than to see you're alright"

"You call this alright?" said Kurtis, sarcastically and furiously at the same time.

"Just go, son" said Alexander and with that Kurtis got out of the room.

* * *

><p>Kurtis found himself in many dark halls. Now he had to escape without getting noticed. <em>That won't be so hard. They don't know I escaped<em> he thought. He started walking quietly. He was too weak to run so if he got noticed, he would fail to escape. He sneaked through the halls to find a way out. He walked and walked but could not find the exit. He finally reached a hall that was leading downstairs. He climbed down the stairs without wasting time.

He found himself in front of a wide corridor. He intended to walk through this but he heard voices and hid behind the nearby wall. He had to see who was there and when it was the right time to run through the corridor. _Farsee_ he suddenly thought. Although he was weak, he decided to use his farsee ability. He raised his arms and his soul immediately abandoned his body. His spirit floated through the corridors and found two men. They were walking away. Going a little farther, he noticed enormous wooden gates. Then his spirit was desperately searching for his body. Once he found his body, he got back to it. The jolt was so violent that Kurtis fell on the ground. _This is my way out_ he thought. Once the corridors were empty, he stood up and walked cautiously.

He finally saw the gates. That brought joy inside him but it didn't last long. There was a guard in front of them. _Not one of my easy days_ he thought to himself. Kurtis ran extremely fast and knocked the guard down before the guard could react. He didn't know how he found the strength to do so, but he was glad that his tough Lux Veritatis Training always proved helpful in such situations. He tried to open the gates but it was hopeless. He used telekinetic powers and with an invisible force, the gates opened after he raised his arms. Once the gates were open, he got out, into the pouring rain. He felt a wave of relief rising inside him. He was free again.

_Now I have to find Lara_ he immediately thought and ran quickly, away from the Castle Of Obscurity.


	8. Black Dawn

Hello and thank you for reading and reviewing my story! =)

This chapter was inspired by the Angel of Darkness teaser trailer, Hand Of Fate! This trailer was the main inspiration of the whole fanfic and you will be noticing parts of it written in this chapter!

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Black Dawn<strong>

_Finally. I found a purpose. That very little part of me which was still fighting, managed to rule my whole soul. The unawareness is gone now. There is a meaning. And finally, after all this time I will be able to see Kurtis. Touch his face again. See his piercing blue eyes. At last, I found a purpose to fight. Now I have to pay a visit to someone who will be able to help me. At least I hope so. Then I will be able to find you, Kurtis. Don't worry. I know it's hard. Just hold on. I'll come for you. I haven't forsaken you. I never will_

_Lara Croft_

Lara kept running to hide from the Nephilim demons she had been stalked by as the black clouds were flying above her head. She took her dual pistols and started shooting. She knew she couldn't be harmed as the symbol of the Lux Veritatis was still on her hand, but their presence all around made her feel uncomfortable.

After shooting several times, the creatures collapsed on the ground one by one. Lara holstered her pistols and walked away to reach her destination. She had gone outside the Castle of Obscurity but she decided it was too well guarded to break in. She needed a better plan and time to prepare it. She didn't want to waste much time though as she knew Kurtis was in there, but going in the Castle without a good plan was certain death. She knew about a man who had lived through the Shadow War and could provide her with useful information and hopefully tell her the right way to enter the Castle and find Kurtis, her beloved partner.

After several minutes of walking, Lara found a small building. She found the door and knocked on three times. She waited a while but there was no response. She knocked on the door another three times. This time she found someone behind the door.

"Who is it?" asked an old man's voice.

"Are you Cornelius? Abraham Cornelius?" asked Lara.

"Yes. Who is it?" the old man wondered.

"Mr. Cornelius, my name is Lara Croft and I really need your help" Lara said.

"Are you alone, young girl?"

"Yes, don't worry. Just please let me come in. You are my only hope. I need to save a friend of mine" Lara said hoping that the elderly man would let her come in. Fortunately, he did. He opened the door. He was a very old man. He had white hair and grey eyes.

"Come in, young girl" he said to her.

"Thank you" Lara replied and got inside the building.

"Sit there. There, next to the fireplace. You must be cold" said Cornelius. Lara did so, after she had taken off her cloak. Lara enjoyed the warmth that the fire offered. The atmosphere was warm, cosy and comforting. The armchair she was sitting on was very comfortable. Cornelius sat in a chair opposite of her

"Can I offer you something?" Abraham asked.

"Now thanks. I'm fine. I just came here to-"

"I know why you're here Miss Croft" he said, interrupting her.

"You want to save the Lux Veritatis warrior. I know. He is trapped in the Castle Of Obscurity, damned to serve the strong ones forever"

Lara couldn't hear more of this. She couldn't even imagine Kurtis being harmed in any way. She felt her heart break even with the thought of it.

"I want you to tell me about evil. Where is it hiding and what can I do against it? What does the strong one want?"

Cornelius looked at her with a solemn and sorrowful look. Lara silenced. Then he said "You ask me about evil?" a pause. "Let me tell you about evil. It is evil through time. It is evil through history" another long pause that tortured Lara's mind. "And you ask what does he want? Power" a longer one. "A dawn so dark…"

"And you ask what can you do against such evil, Miss Croft?"

Lara looked at him, her mind full of questions unanswered.

"You will face it"

Lara felt frozen at this point. There was silence for a while but Lara broke it by asking "How can I save him?"

"You won't have to" he answered her.

"What do you mean?"

"He's already-" a strong clatter interrupted him. Wild screams could be heard from outside the door.

"Go, Miss Croft. Get out from the back door" Cornelius ordered.

"What about you?" Lara asked him.

"Don't worry about me, young girl. Just go. You're our only hope" Cornelius told her.

"But-"

"Go, I'll be fine. Your life is more precious than mine" Abraham insisted.

Lara grabbed her cloak and searched for the back door.

She found it and got out of the building.

She started running into the pouring rain. Lighting covered the dark sky. She kept running away until she panted and stopped. She could see ugly creatures in front of her. _Great_ she thought and took her pistols out of her holsters.

* * *

><p>Kurtis ran through the dark roads after he had escaped the Castle of Obscurity. The rain had washed away the blood on his face. He was hoping to find Lara. God, he had missed her so much. According to Alexander, Lara usually stayed hidden in a wooden hut so he thought she would be there. He walked until he finally found the place he had been looking for. He knocked the door down with his powers and started searching for her. He searched everywhere but Lara was nowhere to be found. <em>Great. Just Great.<em>

He kept wandering through the streets in order to find a clue that would lead him to her. A sign. Anything. He had been searching for many minutes but found nothing. Disappointed, Kurtis leaned against a wall. _God, I'd kill for a cigarette right now_ he thought. He was lost in this thought when suddenly he heard creepy screams from nearby. Fearing that those creatures could possibly be after Lara, he took his trustful Glaive and went to the direction the screams were leading.

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><p>Lara kept shooting without ceasing. Those beasts she was fighting were not pure Nephilim, thus the symbol on her hand couldn't keep her safe from them. Those ones could kill her. She managed to kill most of them but there were still three left, expecting her to become their prey. She attempted to shoot again but she realised that she had run out of bullets. There was nothing more she could do but run, so she started running away from them. The ugly creatures kept hunting her. She hid behind a wall. Suddenly she realised that the Lux Veritatis symbol on her right hand started aching. <em>What is going on?<em> she thought. There wasn't much time to think of it though. The ugly monsters found her once again and she ran away from them. She kept running until she found a wall right in front of her. _Dead end. Bloody hell._ She was trapped. The creatures had gotten her. Lara could do nothing more. She stood there waiting for something to save her life. _Now what?_she thought hopelessly.

Out of the blue, someone got there in time and with a gun he started shooting the beasts. The two of them were gone. Only one remained. Lara was aghast and did nothing more but stare at her saviour while he was fighting. Once the last monster was on the ground, the mysterious man stabbed it several times with a strange five-bladed knife to make sure it was dead. Lara stood there, wondering who had just saved her life.

After a while, the enigmatic man turned to face Lara. She could see his figure but could not make out details of his face due to the dark. He started walking slowly towards her. She did the same thing.

"Who are you?" she asked him. He didn't reply. As they were coming closer, Lara started making out details of his face. They ended up being only one step away from each other. "Don't you recognise me, Lara?" the man asked with an American accent.

Lara took off her hood and kept staring at him. Then she raised her well-shaped eyebrows, full of recognition.

"Kurtis…"


	9. Hope Reborn

Thank you for the reviews to all previous chapters! ;)

So here's the next chapter, something more hopeful as the title suggests..!

**Disclaimer: I do not own any Tomb Raider characters apart from Alexander and Abraham Cornelius** (forgot to mention that on the previous chapter)..

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: Hope Reborn<strong>

_Union Of Light: According to prophecies, the last member of the Lux Veritatis Order will form an alliance with a human being, a warrior to whom the wonders of the world have been disclosed, and together they will win the Shadow War. I think I have just found this union. It's been a long time since Evil won the Shadow War but there will be a revolution. Then the Darkness will be defeated and the world will find its balance again. I wish Richard could see his daughter fighting for the sake of Truth. He would be so proud of her. He knew few things about the Shadow War but still he was able to help Konstantin. Richard helped him without knowing much and he was kept safe. Unfortunately, things are not the same for his daughter._

_Abraham Cornelius_

Lara was immobile, not knowing how to react. She wanted to burst into laughter and tears. She felt as if she would collapse if she kept those feelings inside her. She had been trying to hide emotions for so long. She couldn't do it anymore. All the emotions inside her rebelled. She couldn't help but let some tears fall.

Kurtis was trembling and it wasn't due to the chilliness of the night. The moment he had been waiting for a very long time had finally come. He even thought this wasn't real and that he would soon find himself in the dark room, delivering his blood.

Lara couldn't stand there and stare at him without any reaction. She was sure it was him. She saw that familiar sparkle into his dark blue eyes. She finally saw them again after a lot of prayers. She wouldn't stay away any longer. She ran into him and embraced him. Kurtis was taken by surprise but he held her very close to him, never wanting to let her go. Lara started crying with sobs as the downpour became even heavier. If it wasn't raining Kurtis' shirt would be wet anyway by Lara's tears. He couldn't help but let some tears fall too.

"It's all right" Kurtis comforted her. "Everything's fine" he whispered in her ear.

She kept on crying, expecting him to take her home and end this tragic reality once and for all. Unfortunately, he couldn't.

Her legs felt weak and trembled. She couldn't stand anymore. She kneeled while having Kurtis in her arms. Kurtis kneeled too without letting her go. They were kneeled as Lara kept on crying.

It was like time had stood still. Like the earth had stopped turning. Lara broke the embrace to face Kurtis after she had cried out many tears. She looked deep into those blue oceans. She got lost inside them and she was so happy about that. He kept looking into her dark eyes and was utterly hypnotised.

"We have to get out of here. I know a safe place" Lara said after what seemed an eternity.

* * *

><p>Lara Croft and Kurtis Trent finally reached the small wooden hut Lara was hiding in. It wasn't the most comfortable place in the world but it could protect them from the heavy rain and the merciless cold. Once they got inside, Lara took off her cloak, lay her holsters and her gloves on a table and sat on a chair, looking at the ground. <em>What's wrong with me? I should be happy. Why do I feel so confused?<em>

Kurtis put his weapons on a nearby table too. He noticed that Lara was overwhelmed and that she needed comfort. He kneeled right in front of her.

"What's wrong?" he asked calmly.

"Well, everything is wrong" she answered.

"You used to be the one who would never give up. What happened now?"

"It's not only about the whole situation"

She paused for a while. Then she went on.

"It's about us, Kurtis"

He remained quiet, confused by her words.

Lara stood up at that point. "You once told me that you would never walk away. You said you wouldn't hurt me. But you did, you forsook me. Maybe it sounds irrational but it's so hard to let you in again" Lara said in desperation.

"Lara, I-" said Kurtis but was interrupted by Lara.

"It's not that I don't care about you. In fact, that's why I'm doing this. The problem is that no one can hurt me except you. Because you're the only one I truly care about"

There was a long silence. After a while, Kurtis stepped towards her. "I missed you" he said almost whispering. Their faces where only a few inches away.

"Go away" she told him, knowing that after some seconds, she would regret.

"Lara…"

"Please step away. I can't… Please, don't make this harder" she replied with much remorse but she knew it was the only way to protect herself from her emotions.

Kurtis had a cold look on his face. He walked away to reach the door. _Didn't she even miss me? Didn't she want to see me the way I did?_ He thought trying to hide the hurt inside him. All he kept on thinking while he was tortured into this dark room was Lara. The thought of her had made him hold on all along. If it wasn't for her, he would probably had left this world. His world was empty without her.

He turned the door knob and opened it. However, he didn't step outside.

_What am I doing? Am I losing him? Again?_ she thought. She didn't do anything to prevent Kurtis from walking away though.

The door was open for him but he wouldn't walk away. Not without trying to get close to her again. To show her that he never intended to hurt her and that he would make things right for both of them. _What am I doing?_ He thought. _Since when do I carry out orders?_

"I'm not going anywhere" he said and he closed the door with force. Then he walked hastily towards her and grabbed her arm but making sure not to hurt her and finally kissed her. Lara didn't realise what had happened for some seconds. All she knew was that she wanted it too. So she responded. They kept kissing each other passionately but tenderly at the same time. Kurtis pulled her close to him so he could embrace her tightly. Lara hadn't felt so warm inside her for so long. They broke off the kiss in order to breathe. Then Kurtis pushed her against a wall slowly and started kissing her again. They entwined their hands tightly, both feeling that nothing could keep them apart anymore. Afterwards, they embraced each other again, the senses of both of them hypnotised by this kiss.

While having each other in their arms, Kurtis and Lara headed for the bed and lay down. He got on top of her and Lara pulled him closer, finally feeling the warmth of his body that she had missed so much. Kurtis started kissing her on the cheek, then moving to her neck. Lara closed her eyes. She wouldn't let that moment run away from her. She fondled his hair with the one hand and touched his shoulder with the other one. He kept kissing her neck with affection and yearning and she started taking deep breaths. He moved to her right arm but something attracted his attention. Lara wondered why he had stopped.

"What's wrong?" she asked, taking deep breaths like she had run a marathon.

"You still have the mark" Kurtis said without taking his eyes off the symbol of the Lux Veritatis on het right hand.

"So?" she said, feeling that at last she would find out why it hadn't disappeared since the Crystal Shard had been destroyed.

"You shouldn't. It was supposed to disappear. The Crystal Shard is destroyed" he said and then lay next to her.

"Which means?" she kept wondering.

Kurtis showed her the same mark he had on his left hand.

"I never knew why it hadn't disappeared" he continued.

"What does it mean?" she asked.

"That the Shard didn't lose its power at all" said Kurtis with a smile.

"So… We haven't lost at all. We can still fix this" she said hopefully.

"Yes. Yes, we can still fix this" he reassured her.

Lara felt delighted. Hope was finally reborn.

They both slept into each other's arms, both more peaceful than ever, feeling happiness that they hadn't felt for a very long time.

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><p>Lara and Kurtis woke up into a day without a sun again. As days went by, the darkness was becoming wider and wider. However, Lara and Kurtis didn't feel like that. They felt like there was sunshine this time.<p>

"Where do we have to go?" Lara asked while she was getting ready and equipped.

"To a monastery, the one on the mount. According to Alexander, the pieces of the Shard are kept there by some monks" he informed her.

"Monks? I thought this monastery was abandoned" she said.

"Maybe we doomed this world but we're not the only ones left" he said while loading his gun.

Lara took her holsters with the guns, her backpack and wore her gloves and the cloak. She didn't wear the hood. Kurtis took his Glaive and hanged it to his belt. He wore his shoulder holsters and placed his Boran X to its right position.

After a few minutes, they were ready to go. Kurtis opened the door and Lara followed him outside. Once they were out, she said to him cheerfully "Just like the good old times"

Kurtis just smiled to her. And how she adored his smile. She needed nothing more as a response.

Looking up, they both located the monastery, seemingly abandoned but in reality inhabited by monks, according to Alexander. Looking at each other with a smile, they both felt ready to begin their new mission and hopefully set things right.

**A/N: The Union of Light and the prophecies that talk about it, in Cornelius' words are created by me. And for those who may have got confused, Union of Light is Kurtis' and Lara's partnership..! ;)**


	10. The Monastery of Secrets

Hi everybody..! Thank you for reading so far and thank you Metalgirl3135 and en-lumine for reviewing 'till the most recent chapter!

I would also like to thank Angy1996 and gyikhu for reviewing the first chapters, I wouldn't be encouraged to update without them! ;) I was a bit later than the usual but here's the next chapter... I hope you guys like it! =)

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Eidos and are not mine. (but the monks are!)**

Note: The definition of 'Telepathy' was found on wikipedia!

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: The Monastery of Secrets<strong>

_The symbol is still there. The Crystal Shard has still some power left. It's not as powerful as it used to be but the power it holds is good enough to stop the Cabal and the Nephilim from ruling the world. The Monastery will give us what we need. At least I'm not alone anymore. I was lost and hopeless. I had given up and I even let them fuck up with my mind, without any resistance, believing that this was the right thing to do. Until I found her…_

_Kurtis Trent_

Thick mist was covering the top of the mountains. The Monastery was hardly visible on the crest of the Cursed Mount. It was so steep that it made climbing really hard. A large bell was constantly clanging, the only thing that could be heard in those godforsaken lands. The sound of the bell was echoing through the region. A large full moon was right above the abandoned Monastery as it was reflecting the shadows of the damaged building.

Kurtis Trent was climbing up the mountain and Lara Croft was following him, right behind him. She was wearing her hood. They had been climbing for quite some time when they finally reached their destination.

"This is it" said Kurtis after he had managed to catch his breath.

Lara was panting. It was obvious that rockclimbing had somewhat exhausted her. _I've become really rusty_, she thought. "I never knew that a Tomb Raider could become consumed _that_ easily" he teased her. "I'm just-" she paused to catch her breath. "-fine" she completed.

He just smiled. "Bloody American" she said teasingly.

After that short interruption, they approached the giant door. Kurtis knocked on the door. They both waited for a response impatiently.

A black figure opened the door. Not very widely though. Just as much as needed to be able two face the visitors.

"Who are you?" The figure said demandingly.

"Look, we really need your help. You happen to know about the Crystal Shard, am I right?" Lara said with a stable tone.

"Yes, we have its pieces" the man said, immediately regretting that he had disclosed so much information to the strangers.

"What do you know about that? Who are you?" said the man. "It doesn't really matter. We just need those pieces, if you don't mind" Lara said, more threateningly this time.

The man didn't reply. She continued "I'm losing my patience. If you don't let us come in, you will-"

"We are the Union of Light, which means you don't have another choice but to let us come in" said Kurtis, interrupting Lara. Kurtis' statement was confirmed when the monk saw the ring that Kurtis was wearing; proof that he indeed belonged to the sacred Order of the Lux Veriatis.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Please, please come in" the man said regretting his previous hostile attitude. Then the door got wide open.

"Union of Light?" asked Lara.

"Yeah, that's how some prophecies call us. And those guys are stick to the prophecies, trust me" he told her and they both got into the monastery.

The sound of the large bell wasn't heard so clearly now. It was still cold but not as much as outside. The ceiling was very lofty and the coloured panes of the windows reflected a dark but colourful light inside the whole place. Lara and Kurtis walked through the large corridors, following the monk. He was wearing a long black cassock and his hair was white.

Kurtis and Lara were led to a large room which was darker than the main hall. There was a window right opposite the door. A cemetery could be seen through it. Inside the room were some more monks dressed just like the man they first saw. The monk closed the door behind him after Lara and Kurtis had entered the room.

"And you are?" Lara asked. "We support the first form of the Lux Veritatis Order. We are just like the very first ones" the monk said.

"You mean you are Lux Veritatis?" Kurtis said impatiently.

"We actually support the Order's traditions but our bloodline has nothing to do with the Order" the monk replied.

"But you…" the monk continued. "You are the last living link to the Order. The last active member of the Lux Veritatis" the man completed.

"Who are you, young girl?" another monk asked. Lara took off her hood with hesitation. "My name is Lara Croft" she replied with confidence.

"Richard's daughter?" said the same man who had asked her the question.

"You knew my father?" she said immediately.

"Better than you can imagine. We all did. He helped Konstantin Heissturm very much" one of the monks said.

"Lara's father knew… my father?" Kurtis asked confused. "Yes. They were very good friends"

Lara and Kurtis looked each other with confusion.

"Then they…" said Lara.

"…may have planned out the whole thing with…"

"…us. Maybe they did want us to become partners" said Lara completing Kurtis' sentence.

There was a long pause for a while. That theory sounded a bit unconceivable to both of them. They needed more answers.

"What did my father have to do with the Shadow War?" Lara asked after a while.

"Your fathers were partners, both fighting against the Nephilim and the Black Alchemist" said one of the monks. "How did he get involved in all this?" Kurtis questioned."We do not know that" one of the monks replied.

Kurtis felt like there was a burden on his shoulders after all the things he had heard. Could his and Lara's partnership had been planned out by his father? Would they meet each other anyway if they had never met in Paris? And how did Richard Croft find out about the Shadow War? Despite his unanswered questions, he decided to get to the point and find out about the thing they came for in the first place.

"Where do you keep the pieces of the Crystal Shard?" he asked.

"Well, we considered that the Shard would be useful even though it had been destroyed. This weapon is so powerful that we thought it couldn't totally lose its power, even when it's in pieces. So we kept the pieces in our Monastery, inside a secret chamber" the monk who had opened the door to them said.

"Can we have a look at them?" Lara asked. "Sure. They were guarded for you two" the monk said. "Follow me"

And the monk opened a door which was concealed as it was painted in the same colour of the walls. Afterwards, he nodded to Kurtis and Lara to follow him. So they did.

The monk led the couple to the hidden chamber, through a long corridor. Once the next door was open, Lara and Kurtis saw the Crystal Shard, broken in many pieces. The sight of it brought back painful memories. Lara was the first one who got inside and touched the pieces. As soon as she touched it, the Lux Veritatis symbol on her hand became more apparent. So did Kurtis' symbol. The monk had a look on his face as if he knew what was happening.

"Ah, it connects you" he said. "What…?" said Lara confused.

"There is a strong connection between you two. I can sense it. Not only due to the Shard. There is a natural connection, something very strong between you two. Telepathy, if you like"

Telepathy is the ostensible transfer of information on thoughts or feelings between individuals by means other than the five senses.

Lara and Kurtis could most of the times sense their connection each time they were together. Maybe it was because of the Shard. But they were sure that this was also Destiny…

They looked at each other, thinking that Destiny was playing with them. Kurtis Trent was the other half of Lara Croft. Lara Croft was the other half of Kurtis Trent. They were both incomplete without each other.

Those thoughts were interrupted by the monk. "You have to go back and fix this" he said. "Back…?" said Kurtis.

"There is something you should know" said the monk. "Go on" Lara encouraged him.

"This isn't the Real World. We are lost into another dimension. Lost in time if you like. This is a perfectly hidden world which is directly connected with the Real one. When things are fine here, the Outside world is balanced. When there is chaos here, it's much more chaotic there. And now, we do live in complete havoc" the monk took a deep breath to continue.

"You can still go back. There is a way. It is risky though but it's worth a try" he finished. Lara and Kurtis stood in shock. All this time they thought that every single human being had long since died and that this was the real world now. They never knew they where in another dimension all along.

"You mean… This isn't the Real World. Human race hasn't become extinct?" Kurtis asked in disbelief.

"No. Humans are still alive, facing their fate after the Great Battle" the monk expounded. "How can we go back there?" Lara managed to ask although she was shocked.

"There are some catacombs, just beneath the Castle Of Obscurity" said the monk. "There is a woman there. A hermit. She is said to be a witch too. Go find her, she will be able to help you. Here, take the pieces. You'll need them" he said and gave the pieces to Lara. She put them inside her backpack, underneath her cloak.

There was a bang. A strong bang. The three people got down to protect themselves.

"Go! Quickly! Don't waste time" screamed the monk. Lara and Kurtis ran out of the hidden room. The corridors were empty. With a nod ,they decided to follow the direction the corridors were leading to. They kept running until they found a T junction. "Where to now?" Lara asked.

Kurtis knew what he had to do. He raised his arms with palms facing the ceiling. After a couple of seconds, he was out of his body. Lara stood there, waiting. She knew what was happening. After roaming through the corridors, Kurtis' spirit violently returned to his body. He felt a strong jolt and Lara helped him keep his balance.

"So?" she said. "Follow me" he ordered and moved forward. She did so.

They kept walking through the corridors. Kurtis was leading the way. They finally found a door that was leading to an exit. They got out of the monastery but they could go nowhere. This side of the mountain was too steep. Suddenly, they heard familiar creepy screams. They simultaneously turned to look from where the screams were coming from. There were monstrous creatures behind them. And they didn't seem like the Lux Veritatis symbols on their hands would stop the creatures from attacking. With a determined glance to each other, they took their guns out of their holsters and fired at the creatures. Kurtis' gun could be heard but not Lara's.

"Out of bullets. Damnit!" she cursed as she had forgotten that there were no bullets into her guns. Unfortunately, the creatures were invulnerable. Kurtis kept shooting though. It was apparent that the beasts had trapped them; they could go nowhere.

"What do we do now?" Lara asked nervously. Kurtis looked to the steep slope after he had stopped shooting. "We jump" he said. "What? Are you mad? We're going to get killed, it's too steep" she told him. "There is no other way" he said loudly.

"No, no, no! Maybe you can survive such a fall like the way you did when you tried to impress me by falling from the stair rails in the Louvre but let me remind you that I am NOT a Lux-"

"JUMP!" Kurtis screamed and pushed her to the steep slope. They both jumped and fell abruptly. After they hit the ground, they kept rolling until they reached the level ground. They were both full of bruises and wounds after such a fall. They were extremely lucky they didn't break any bones.

"Great. Incredible idea, Trent. Next time, I come up with the escape plans" said Lara while they were both lying on the ground.

"Deal"


	11. Another Path To Salvation

Hello everybody! So here's the next chapter, totally romantic without action whatsoever! :-S

For those who are romantic (like me), I believe you will appreciate this chapter..! For those who are in love with action and support the Lara-and-Kurtis-are-only-partners-and-nothing-more thing, you're definitely gonna hate me...!

( No words from a character in the beginning this time, sorry... I couldn't come up with anything... )

**Inspiration Song: My Immortal by the band Evanescence**

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><p><strong>Chapter 10: Another Path To Salvation<strong>

Darkness.

The sky was black. Shadows wandering in a world that hasn't seen a crystal blue sky for a very long time. A monastery was on the crest of a tall mountain, waiting for sunshine. Mists were haunting the lost souls. Souls that had been swallowed by darkness. There was nothing more but darkness. It was so suffocating. There wasn't anyone there to save the World from Shadows. The Rise of Salvation had long since faded. The only thing that could be seen in this forsaken world was Darkness.

Those who were still fighting, still defying the wide darkness threatening to swallow their souls, were walking through the abandoned lands, searching for a safe place to get some rest and then find the hermit. Once they found a shelter, they resided in.

Kurtis was leaning against a wall. He certainly felt exhausted but he still felt that he had to find the hermit at that instant rather than sit and wait. He hated it when there was nothing that he could do to help things get better. He just wanted to fight every single second. That was how he was taught. He searched the shelter hoping to find something that could make him feel better. Actually he was hoping to find a cigarette but he wasn't able to. _Maybe I do need some rest_ he finally thought.

He walked inside a room and found Lara, trying to wrap a nasty scratch on her left arm with a piece of cloth but it wasn't good enough for such a wound. He walked into the other rooms to find a medipack. When he finally found one, he returned to Lara and sat beside her. He opened it and took some bandages to cover Lara's scratch. She resisted "I don't need that"

"Just hold still" he argued. She obeyed, knowing that Kurtis could easily be as stubborn as she was. "If you heard me once, just once then maybe you wouldn't get _that_ injured" Kurtis said, referring to the impulsiveness she showed earlier. Finding a safe place in a doomed world could sometimes require to fight for it. "I had to find a way to help you defeat the creatures" she explained. "You were weaponless" he stated with a bit of indignation. "How were you supposed to fight them on your own? Besides, I wasn't totally weaponless. I had a knife, if you observed that" she said. "Having a knife as a weapon means close encounter with the enemy, which puts you in much danger" he said, with a slightly raised tone of voice.

She said nothing at that. She stood up so she could prevent herself from looking into his eyes, the only thing that could make her completely vurnerable. "If I had let you face them on your own, _you_ would be in much danger" she stated. "And I don't want to lo-" she said but didn't complete her sentence. He looked at her on that point, understanding what she was about to say and also being aware of the fact that she was afraid to admit how she felt.

Kurtis wasn't the sort of person who expressed feelings either. Not because he was afraid, but mostly because no one had showed humane emotions to him and thus, was not quite accustomed to it. But with Lara, everything seemed different to him. He always claimed that getting attached to someone would always lead to hurt and betrayal, but with Lara he felt safe. And the chemistry between them, he had felt it since the night in the Louvre and they didn't even know each other then. But as he got to know her, their connection became even stronger. He had never felt like that for any woman. Lara was different, not an easy case and probably the only person who could totally understand his life's suffering. His role as a Lux Veritatis member, his time in the Legion, his Demon Hunting duties, his mercenary work under the guidance of Marten Gunderson…

"Why did you walk away in the first place?" was the first question that Lara wanted him to answer, the question that most tormented her mind. "Sometimes we have to get away from the ones we care about so they'll be safe" he answered. He had lost all the people he cared about in his life, some because of the Shadow War, some because of his mistakes and others, because they chose to betray him rather than waste their pride. There was an undying silence. Then Lara ended it.

"I don't want to lose you" she finally admitted while she was still trying to avoid eye contact with him. She knew that looking him in the eyes would make her want to surrender herslef to him immediately. She desperately wanted to get lost in him but she was still afraid, afraid of her emotions, afraid of losing him, afraid of living a life without him after getting attached to him. However…

"I love you, Kurtis" she confessed to him. Her words sounded sweeter than any lullaby to his ears. He turned to face her. She had a worried look on her face. "No one can" he said in disappointment, drowning himself in the bitter thought that he did not deserve true love due to his dark past. "I can" she said with confidence.

"I love you too" he almost whispered to her after a while, his expression so truthful that Lara was about to melt. He walked close to her, narrowing the distance between them. Then he embraced her, experiencing the sweetest form of surrender. "I love you, Lara Croft." he said looking deep into her dark brown eyes, hypnotised once again.

Lara was unable to react. She just kept looking into his dark blue eyes that always seemed to paralyse her senses. She knew he wasn't lying. Eyes never lie. Eyes always reflect what we have inside our souls. And Kurtis' soul was full of beauty, full of humane emotions and love despite his cruel fate, his dark past and his cold heritage.

Kurtis reduced the distance between their faces until it was totally vanished. They kissed each other with much affection. After a while, he broke the kiss in order to look at her while breathing. Lara felt his breath against her face. She always loved that sensation and it was long ago since she last felt it. She was just like he remembered; utterly beautiful.

He kissed her again and after a while, he moved on to her tops with both hands. He broke the kiss, with hands on her blouse, waiting for her reaction. He thought she would probably go away. She didn't though. She wouldn't lose the only moment of peace she had after a long time. She closed her eyes and raised her arms. Kurtis took off her tops, revealing her bra and some bruises.

He kissed her on the neck and moved down to her collarbone. She kept her eyes closed, savouring this moment, not wanting it to end. He moved to her shoulder and planted gentle kisses. She kept him close to her and after a while, he raised his head and kissed her lips once again. She broke the kiss after a while and pulled his shirt from his back. He lowered his head so she could take off his blood-stained shirt. She threw it away and touched his countless wounds and scratches gently and slowly. He closed his eyes, feeling chills up and down his spine with every touch of hers. She suddenly felt pity for him and some tears found their way to her eyes. But this time, she did let them fall. She didn't want to bury her emotions again. Not again… She always got hurt every time he was so wounded. She couldn't stand it. She pulled him close to her and kissed him, taking all of his pain away. Their bodies were so close to each other that they could both feel each other's heart beating really fast. Without breaking the kiss, they both headed for the bed. She lay down and he came on top of her. He could hardly breathe normally. Her heart had never beaten in so fast a pace. Kurtis entwined his hands with Lara's and held it very tightly.

Hearts beating really fast. Breaths taken out of both of them. A moment that was never wanted to end. They had found a trace of light in a world of suffocating darkness. All fears were gone. They didn't think for a single instant about what was lying ahead. They only thought about this moment. After a long time separated, they were finally together. Words of pride that they frequently spoke to each other in order to hide their emotions did not matter anymore. A million fake words were faded by this one, eternal, true moment. That was all that mattered. In fact, this was the first time they slept so peacefully since they got lost into this Dark World.


	12. To The Catacombs

**Thanks for reading and for the supportive reviews...! Okay, enough with romance (apart from the beginning of the chapter) ****:P**

**Time for some fantasy and later on, action... ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lara Croft or Kurtis Trent... But I do own Saphira, our new character who will make her debut in this chapter..!**

**Note: For me, Lara and Kurtis are roughly on their mid twenties, Kurtis is a couple of years older than Lara (I don't really tend to stick to official info)... Their age will be needed as Saphira's age will be mentioned in comparison with Kurtis' and Lara's age...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 11: To The Catacombs<strong>

Lara woke up to find herself sleeping on the bed. Kurtis had already woken up. His clothes weren't on the floor. She stood up and got a bed-sheet to hide her exposed body. Then she found out that her backpack had been invaded and later on, that the pieces of the Crystal Shards were missing. Holding her bed-sheet tightly, she got out of the room.

She went inside another room and found Kurtis sitting and staring at the pieces which were lying on a table in front of him. He seemed confused, like there was a puzzle in front of him that he had to solve. "Hey, Croft" he said without taking his eyes off the pieces. "Hey" she replied and sat beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder while he was still looking at the pieces.

"We're going to those catacombs, aren't we?" she asked. "It's our only hope" he replied. "Hope? I thought you'd said that you didn't believe in hope" she said to him. He looked at her in the eyes and touched her face. He kissed her gently. "Well, I do now" he said. With his hands he pulled her face close to his and kissed her deeply this time. After they broke off the kiss, he rested his forehead on hers.

"I love you, Lara" he said calmly. "I love you too, Kurtis". He smiled and kissed her again.

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><p>Once they got ready, they abandoned the shelter and headed for the catacombs. The sky was dark as always. The sun had once again forgotten to rise. They had to get to the Castle of Obscurity where Kurtis was trapped in and get to the catacombs beneath it.<p>

They kept walking for several minutes when they finally reached their destination. Now they had to find a way to get underground. "Now where do we go, tough leader?" she said, teasing him. He looked at her with a look of amusement but didn't say anything. She walked closer to him.

"There has to be some kind of entrance to a cave or something, leading to the catacombs…" she said and patted him on the back. He groaned in pain as if she had hit him. "Oh, I'm sorry. I had forgotten about your bruises" she apologised. "Although it's mostly your fault, you and your amazing escape plans" she teased him. "If you had come up with a better plan, be sure I'd follow suit" he stated.

"Okay, what's done is done and we really have to get back to business" she said. He was solemn now. He kept looking at the direction of the Castle. She noticed that, remembering what ordeal he had went through in there. "It's okay, it's over now. The worst part is over. We won't have to get in there" she told him. He looked at her with eyes reflecting pain. "I'm fine, don't worry" he reassured her, his statement accompanied with a slight smile. "As you said before, back to business. We have to find a way to get into the catacombs" he said. _And I know how_, he mentally added.

He outstretched his arms with palms facing the black sky. After some seconds, his consciousness abandoned his body. Meanwhile, Lara was looking around in case an enemy approached them. After a while, he returned to his body. He jerked backwards but kept his balance. "Follow me" he said with a demanding tone. "That's the only thing I've been doing the last couple of days" she said with a tone of amusement but also complaint.

They went to the rear side of the Castle. On the ground there was a cave leading underground, hidden by some bushes without leaves. It was dark inside the underground tunnel. "Ladies first" said Kurtis, full of sarcasm. "Oh, what a gentleman. So what's the catch? Are you going to trap me in, or something?" she asked him. He just smiled "No, not this time" he joked. "You're never going to change, are you?" she said, _not that I want you to_, she additionally thought and got inside the cave. "If you say so…" he replied although she wasn't able to listen to him and then, he followed.

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><p>The place was very dark. Kurtis wielded his Chirugai and let it spin in the air so it could enlighten them the way. There were many corridors and the pair didn't know which one to choose. They acted arbitrary. After walking through several corridors, they realised that they had been doing circles all along. Even spliting up did not help.<p>

"Where the hell should we go?" Lara asked impatient. "How am I supposed to know? You're the Tomb Raider" he replied to her. "You're the one with the supernatural powers" she told him.

Suddenly, a loud noise interrupted their little argument. They turned and saw strange green light decorating the walls of this maze. For an instant they thought they heard Nephilim creatures howling. "Run" Lara ordered and he instinctively obeyed. They kept running until strange shadows appeared in front of them, floating in the air and strange creatures emerged from the dark corners of the corridors. The Chirugai was spinning right in front of them, enlightening the way and enhancing their defence.

"We can't fight them. I ran out of bullets" she informed him. "Great, Croft" he said indignantly while unholstering his own gun. "Leave them alone" a voice of a woman echoed right behind them.

Kurtis and Lara turned around to face the woman. The mysterious woman said something in a language that neither of them recognised. The shadows, as if they were spellbound obeyed her and disappeared and the strange creatures came right beside her, calming down.

"That's it my pets. Sit down" said the woman. She was tall with long, brown hair and black eyes. Her hair was very messy. She wore a long, torn dress with a corset that gave her a medieval, gothic style. She seemed to be a little older than Lara and Kurtis. Six or seven years older. When she calmed her pets down, she gave a confused and cruel at the same time look to the strange couple.

"Who are you? What do you want from me? What are you doing on my territory?" she asked, not with a demanding or hostile tone though. "Are you the hermit?" Lara asked with a calm tone. "Yes. My name is Saphira" she asked them. "We need your help. And it would be nice of you if you kept you lovely pets away from us" Kurtis said with his typical American accent. "Oh young man, I think I already know who you are. And don't worry about my pets. They aren't as hostile as they seem" Saphira replied. "Yeah, I don't really wanna find out first-hand" Kurtis said. "You are the Union of Light. I've been waiting for you" she said happily.

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><p>"I can see you aren't completely aware of the situation"<p>

Saphira's voice echoed through the whole room. She had taken them into a big room that was never touched by sunlight, like everything else in this doomed world. There was a big bookcase and on the central table there were some torn pages with spells written in an unknown language.

"Let's take it from the beginning" said Saphira and took a deep breath to start explaining the situation. Lara and Kurtis were standing in front of her, waiting impatiently to hear the next words that would come out of her mouth.

"Well… Not very long time ago there was a great battle. When the world wasn't ruled by Darkness. This was the last battle between the Lux Veritatis and the Cabal. The end of Shadow War. At least that's what everybody thinks" she stated with overtones of suspicion to her last sentence. "The battle ended with Karel's victory. After that, you thought that humans completely disappeared from the world as well as the sun and everything that reminded of life. Reality is nowhere near that. That's what they wanted you to think. We're lost in another dimension, perfectly connected with the Real World. Whatever happens here directly affects the Real World too"

Saphira took a deep breath to go on. Lara and Kurtis just stood there, listening carefully.

"The strong ones and their victorious leader needed the Blood of Heissturm in order to start their mission. The Nephilim race would be the lowest status of their new world. With the Heissturm Blood, Karel would create a race stronger than the Nephilim one, even stronger than the Cabal. He didn't want you to know the truth because he knew you would rebel. Although prophecies said so, he wouldn't listen to me"

"To you?" Lara interrupted her, startled by what she had just heard. "Yes. I'm on no one's side, maintaining a neutrial position. Everyone who was left here, devoted to Good or Evil come to me in order to inform them about what they need to know. I don't support any side. I help both sides. That's why they let me live here. But now I know. The time of revolution has come, prophecies were right" she explained. "All I want is to see the Light rise again" she thought loudly.

"If you wanna see the Light rise, why do you help them?" Kurtis asked with a tough tone, referring to the Cabal and Karel. "Yes! Why?" Lara agreed with Kurtis, repeating his question. "Karel promised to bring my father back. I lost my parents long time ago. He said he would help me see my father again if took his offer of keeping an impartial position. So I did" she explained to them.

"We need to get back to the Real World but before that, there's one more thing" Lara uttered. "Yes…" Saphira encouraged her to go on. "What can you do with these?" she asked and placed the pieces of the Crystal Shard on the table that seperated Saphira from Lara and Kurtis. "Look at that. The Crystal Shard just before my eyes. Not in one piece but I think I can fix it. It'll take some time though…" she said full of enthusiasm. Afterwards, she took a book from the big bookcase behind her, placed it on the same table the pieces were and opened it. It was dusted, probably hadn't been open for a very long time. "There it is" she said after browsing through the pages. "Now I'll be able to take you back" she said cheerfully looking at the couple. "It's gonna be a little painful though…" she warned them.

Lara opened her mouth to say something but she was interrupted by Kurtis. "We don't care. Just take us there" he ordered her. Lara looked at him and nodded in agreement. "As you wish" Saphira said simply. She took a small piece of chalk and drew a circle on the ground. She placed some candles on the line. "Stand in the middle" she said. With hesitant steps, they did so.

"Ready?" asked Saphira. Lara and Kurtis looked at each other. Those dark blue eyes gave Lara determination and confidence. "Ready" she said without taking her eyes away from Kurtis'. He smiled at her and she smiled back. "Do it" said Kurtis with much confidence. "Okay. Here we go" stated Saphira.

Her hands were holding the thick book tightly. Her eyes were on the words of unknown language. She was ready to perform the ritual. She started whispering. Lara couldn't identify the language. At first she thought it was Latin but she was wrong. So she stood there listening, waiting for something to happen.

Kurtis felt a strange wave of anguish rise inside of him. The part inside him that he stubbornly fought to keep hidden had come to the surface now. According to some ancient archives, the Lux Veritatis were linked to the Nephilim. It was said that the powers of the Lux Veritatis derived from the Nephilim race. Kurtis belonged to the Heissturm generation in which this phenomenon was more intense. He had been giving constant fights to keep his Nephilim nature buried inside him throughout all his life. This time it ruled his whole body and soul. As his Nephilim part gained control, he recognised the language. It belonged to the Nephilim race.

He started whispering the words too, hypnotised by the darkest side of him, by his most hostile nature, by his most dangerous part of himself. Lara was startled as soon as she heard Kurtis whispering too. She looked at him and noticed that his eyes weren't blue anymore. They were black. She supposed that he was spellbound. She did not feel fear. She trusted Kurtis.

Strange mists and bright lights woke her from her thoughts. Saphira's and Kurtis' voices became louder. Lara now felt a wave of terror rising inside her but she refused to let it fill her soul with desperation. The mist became so thick that nothing was visible anymore. She felt a strong pain pierce through her whole body. She screamed in agony and after that everything went blur.

Then she got lost into oblivion, letting the unbearable pain rule her body, mind and soul…


	13. The Real World

**Disclaimer: I do not own any character mentioned in this chapter! All characters belong to Eidos, Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: The Real World<strong>

_A revolution will take place. The weak ones will rebel and defeat the strong ones. Peace will come and it will take all darkness away. The fallen ones will be finally able to rest in peace. And the living but blind ones will be able to find salvation. I trusted the worst enemy of humanity. My family got lost a long time ago. Nothing can change that. That's why I'm doomed to live in this dark world; because I believed him. That's my punishment. It just took too long to realise. I wish I could say goodbye to my mother and father. But that chance has faded away._

_Saphira_

She blinked. She couldn't recognise where she was._ It seems like some kind of barn_. She stood up slowly. This piercing pain she had felt before made her body numb. _Kurtis. Where is he?_ she immediately thought to herself. The place she was in was very dark but she decided to search for him. She started walking around, searching the place. "Kurtis?" she screamed. No response. "KURTIS?" she screamed louder this time. Still no response. "Where are you?"

* * *

><p>He woke up in an unknown, dark place where nothing was visible. He called his Chirugai with his mind and it responded. He mentally ordered it to spin in the air and enlighten the place. It obeyed him. "What the fuck…" he muttered weakly. Suddenly he remembered Lara. Where was she? He had to find her. And he would.<p>

He heard some hasty footsteps. "Lara?" he called, not abandoning his hopes. He felt her nearby. The footsteps sounded more clearly now. He walked towards the noise of the footsteps. He needed to make sure she's fine.

Suddenly the footsteps couldn't be heard anymore. Kurtis froze. All of a sudden, he felt a gun pushed right against his head from behind. He tried to move but the sniper pushed him harder to alert him. He remained still. The figure came closer and checked Kurtis for a gun. Once his gun was found it was thrown on the ground. Kurtis couldn't move. There was only one thing that he could say, one thing that he only wanted to know.

"What did you do to her?" he said coldly. As soon as Kurtis spoke the gun was taken away from him. "Kurtis? Is that you?" said the woman with the gun. Kurtis immediately recognised the voice and turned around. "Lara? Damnit, Croft" he said in relief and anger. He immediately wielded his Glaive to enlighten his sniper in order to make sure it was Lara. "You bloody Yank! We're gonna kill each other one day, you know that?" she said angry.

She took Kurtis' gun which was lying on the ground and handed it to him. "How did you plan to shoot me without bullets?" he asked her. "The enemy wouldn't know that. Guns can be useful even without bullets, you know" she said smiling. "Come on. Let's get out of here" she continued.

They explored the place until they found a door. Lara tried to open it but it wouldn't budge so she kicked it down. Sunshine flooded the whole place. They both stood still. They hadn't seen the sun for a very long time. It felt like centuries since they last felt the rays of sun warm their skin.

They got out slowly and looked up to the sky. Sun. Its rays were hindered by thick clouds as it was cloudy but it didn't matter for Lara and Kurtis. There was enough light to make them see around. No more darkness. No more shadows. They were alive and in the Real World, the one they always recognised.

She smiled and so did he. Sleet was falling from the gray sky. They turned to face the old building they were in. Not far away from them, was a park. Children were playing and laughing. Laughter of happiness; it echoed in their ears for several minutes. They cherished those peaceful moments.

"We're home" Lara whispered. Then Kurtis made a move that took Lara by surprise. He walked towards her and embraced her tightly. At first she didn't react as she was totally taken by surprise. He wasn't so affectionate or even if he was, he knew how to hide it and he rarely showed emotions so she didn't expect such a move from him. After a while, she hugged him back and he held her much tighter.

They remained like that for a long time. Then they broke off the hug. "But where are we? In which country?" Lara asked confused. "I don't know" he replied. "Then let's find out, shall we?" she said and headed for the city centre.

"Are you really gonna go like that?" he asked her. "Yeah! Why? What's wrong with me?" she asked confused. Then she realised; who was supposed not to get scared or shocked with her holsters and guns on display? "Right! Got it!" she said. "Good" he said smiling.

* * *

><p>Berlin. The capital of Germany was always busy and noisy. Gray clouds covered the whole sky. Sleet was falling, gently touching the ground and then melting.<p>

The centre of the city was overcrowded. Every person walking among crowds of people had their own story to narrate. There was a lonely woman walking amongst the crowds. She was wearing a backpack beneath a brown cloak. Her clothes weren't appropriate for the cold and chilly weather. She walked through deserted alleys. In one of the alleys, there was a man, smoking a cigarette. He seemed mysterious, dangerous maybe but certainly the kind of man that you wouldn't like to mess with. The strange woman approached the mysterious man.

"You feel happy now that you're smoking again?" said the woman in a much ironic way. "Knock it off, Croft. Did you find where we are?"

"Did you? Or your only concern was when you would be able to smoke again? Of course you didn't find out. That's the only thing Americans care about. Selfish desires. That's why I hate Yankees"

"Then why do you hang up with an American?"

"That's the first thing I'm going to fix when this is all over"

"Yeah, sure. Just tell me where we are" he said demandingly yet calmly.

"In a tiny city called Berlin" she said sarcastically. "Right. Come on" he ordered her.

"Where?"

"Less talking, more walking"

"Less ordering, more informing"

"Why do you always have to argue with me, Croft?"

"Tell me where the hell we're going, Trent"

"Temple of the Lux"

"Good. See? That wasn't so hard. Now let's keep moving"

* * *

><p>They were locked inside those tall walls for many days. They weren't complaining though. The place had everything they needed: food, water, beds to sleep on… They just wished they could do something more than just sit there, wander around and wait for a wonder.<p>

"We can't stay here any longer. We have to go back and find out more" Zip complained. "Just be patient. I trust Lady Croft. She'll fix everything" Winston replied wisely. "No, we've been waiting for many days. You can stay here if you like, old man. I'm getting outta here" Zip insisted and headed for the gates.

As soon as he reached the gates, the ground trembled. "What was that?" he asked worried. The ground trembled again, in much more turbulence this time and the gates opened. Two figures were standing in front of the open gates. Zip couldn't make out who they were at first, but after a while, he recognised them.

"Lara? Kurt?" Zip shouted, full of happiness.

"Zip! Winston!" Lara said enthusiastically and ran towards them. Kurtis followed with slow steps after he had made sure that the temple was hidden again.

She hugged both Zip and Winston. "It's been so long. How have you been?" she asked them cheerfully. "Don't you know?" wondered Zip. "What should I know?" she asked confused.

Kurtis approached them. He seemed like it wasn't the best moment to catch a conversation with him. But that's how Kurtis always was. He seemed cold, tough and but not evil or with bad intentions. Just a little inexpressive. He didn't like to show emotions. The only one that could make him show caring and warm emotions was Lara.

Zip moved on. "Things aren't going much well here. The world has become like hell. They all act like maniacs. But I don't understand. I thought you knew" Zip informed. "Where have you been?"

"Somewhere else. In another dimension. But it doesn't matter. What's happening here?" asked Kurtis.

"Many bad things, Kurt. Come on" said Zip and nodded them to follow.

Zip moved first and both Lara and Kurtis followed him. Winston was behind of them, walking through the gorgeous alleys of this huge palace.


	14. Tyranny

**Chapter 13: Tyranny**

_My plan works perfectly. They joined forces again and escaped this world. Now they will find out the truth and because of their rage they will come back to me. That's exactly what I want. The Lux Veritatis may have left but as soon as he returns, he will bring me the human too. Croft. I'm going to take every drop of blood from him and I will use it on her to make her the strongest being of my new race, which she is going to begin with her first descendants… She will become my fellow ruler of my dark world. We will live through eternity. I will make her forget that Heissturm and she will finally be mine… Forever._

_Joachim Karel_

Lara Croft and Kurtis Trent were led in a massive chamber. Zip and Winston looked worried but it was about time they told the truth. "Sit" said Zip. "We don't need to sit" said Lara. "Guys, this is really serious" insisted Zip. "Then why don't you just tell us what the fuck is going on?" said Kurtis, losing his patience but still keeping a calm tone of his voice. "I'm sorry, you're right" Zip said with a hesitant voice.

"After that Battle, strange things happened here" started Zip. "Such as…" Lara encouraged him to go on but he just couldn't so Winston carried on for him.

"Inexplicable situations such as unpredictable eclipses or extreme weather conditions. Natural disasters occured in the whole world. Earthquakes, floods, droughts, all to a great extent. Viruses and illnesses that have never appeared before have made people suffer or even die. But there is worse than that" Winston said sorrowfully.

"Worse? Is there anything worse than all this madness?" Lara asked.

"Yes, my dear. After all those bad things, governments of the whole world chose the most intelligent and the most efficient men to come up with a solution. At least that's what they told the general public. They are six men. But they weren't chosen to solve all those problems" Winston informed. But instead of further explanations, silence settled.

"For what purpose were they chosen?" Kurtis asked impatiently. Zip went on for Winston.

"In order to become grand rulers of the world. They took advantage of humanity's problems to become powerful. But they are something much worse than just greedy rulers"

"What?" said Lara at once. "They…" Zip couldn't go on. "Zip, tell us. This is important" Lara said.

"Some people who worked in a secret and illegal agency… gave them some drugs"

"What kinda drugs?" Kurtis asked. "They turned them into… into Nephilim" "What?" Lara said full of surprise.

"Yeah, Nephilim. Pure ones. They aren't like monsters though. They're like normal people. They just… aren't humans" Zip was relieved after he had revealed the whole truth to Lara and Kurtis. "Shapeshifters…" Kurtis thought aloud.

"Where are they?" he then asked. "Wait a minute. You want to find them?" Lara asked him.

"Do you know what the Lux Veritatis have vowed to do? Kill every single Cabal member, every Nephilim creature or whoever supports them. So the answer is yes, I wanna find them" Kurtis replied.

Lara sighed. But she knew that he was right. They both had the duty to save the world and for such purpose, they had to strike straight to the core. "Where are they?" she asked. "In Los Angeles. I may be able to help you find a plane or a helicopter. I brough my equipment with me, I could use some contacts" said Zip in much willingness.

"Thank you. We'll handle this from now on. Stay here. As long as you're here, you're safe. We have to go" said Lara and headed for the door. "Take care. Me and Winston will stay here. Good luck" "Thanks" Kurtis simply replied and followed Lara. The ground trembled again and the gates opened once more. Soon Kurtis and Lara were out of the temple.

* * *

><p>The aircraft basis was very crowded. Many employees were working nonstop on the airplanes' engines.<p>

"Damn, it's almost gotten dark and we are still working" complained one of them in German.

Suddenly they saw something that distracted them from their tasks. A man and a woman with guns in their hands were heading for the basis. They seemed dangerous. The employees kept staring at them in awe.

"Ooohh! There are some strange people out there, don't you think?" said another employee in German.

The couple didn't pay attention to them. They just passed them by, ignoring them. They headed for the control tower, both with a tough look on their face.

They got inside the control tower with guns in their hands. They didn't intend to shoot anyone though. Lara felt very confident. She hadn't felt like that for a long time. Kurtis felt the adrenaline flowing through his veins, crossing its normal limit.

They climbed up the stairs while all of the people inside were looking at them. They didn't know if they should feel terror or admiration.

They got to the chief's office and opened the door with much force. The man looked terrified. "What do you want? Who are you?" he asked in the German language.

Kurtis didn't understand a word but he knew Lara was fluent in many foreign languages and consequently in the German language too, so he let her handle the situation.

"My employee contacted you. We need to fly to Los Angeles" Lara informed. "Yes, I got his call but what you want me to do cannot be done. Things have become strict, no plane takes off unless it's absolutely necessary" the chief replied.

"Yes, I know your policy, that's why I came to you. This is much more than just 'absolutely necessary'" Lara said in German.

"Look lady, I think I made myself clear. I told you, I got the call and I see no necessity in your task. The door's behind you" the man insisted. Kurtis was just listening, trying to figure out what they were saying like an innocent bystander.

"Oh really? Is your life a necessity?" Lara said and aimed at the man. Kurtis got a bit surprised on that, but he remained inexpressive. "What do you need?" the German asked in terror.

"First of all, bullets. Secondly, the best plane you have and finally, parachutes in case your plane is nothing more than a pile of shit. If it is, I'll know where to find you, chief" Lara said in German with a tough tone.

"Yes, of course. But I really need to see pilot licences. I do nothing illegally" he informed Lara in German. "Show him your pilot licences" she said to Kurtis.

Kurtis possessed helicopter and aircraft pilot licences, which he kept safe in the Lux Castle. Fortunately, he took them with him in case they were needed.

He took them out of his pocket and he also took a cigarette. "I this what you need, motherfucker?" he said with an American accent and threw his licences on the nearby table. Then he started smoking cigarette.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked him.

"You're acting like he's understanding what I'm saying. Besides, I got pissed off as much as you did" he replied while smoking. The man interrupted them.

"Good. No problem. I'll give you what you need" the man reassured them in his native language. "Thanks" Lara replied in German.

Then the man approached Kurtis who was now exhaling the smoke. The man handed the licences to Kurtis. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to put out your cigarette. Smoking isn't allowed here, you know" he said to Kurtis who was now taken by surprise.

He had spoken to him in English. He walked out of his office to prepare their plane, the bullets and their equipment. Lara giggled. She had warned him but because of his stubborn nature, he would never listen to her.

"Damn!" he cursed and Lara couldn't help but laugh. "This isn't funny Croft" he told her.

"Oh, I'm afraid you have forgotten how to treat other human beings" she said. "While you seem to be doing just fine" he said ironically, referring to her previous actions. "Welcome to the real world, Kurtis Trent" she teased him and walked away.

He put out his cigarette and walked away, leaving the office empty.

* * *

><p>"I present you Eladora, our best plane" said the man.<p>

"Eladora? It's just a plane! Nothing more than metal and engines" Lara said.

"Oh, come on! You're ruining the magic" Kurtis complained. "You named your favourite car Avalon" he continued.

"Yes, Avalon; my alibi to break speed limits" she said, knowing he was right.

They got into the plane. Lara always had a fear for planes after the tragic accident in Nepal but she kept hiding it so Kurtis wouldn't find out. Kurtis brought the plane to life and when he was ready, the plane moved forwards and then took off, leaving the ground. It then became turbulent for a few seconds.

"What was that?" she said horrified.

"Welcome to the real world, Lara Croft" he said. The plane flew higher and higher, fading into the night sky, becoming a shiny moving spot among the black clouds.

"Next stop, L.A." he said.

* * *

><p>Los Angeles; one of the most popular cities of the United States.<p>

After they landed on the ground of the American city, they got to the city centre. Lara hid her cloak and their guns in her backpack. Her clothes, as well as Kurtis' had some blood stains but they weren't visible due to the dark. There were street lights but Lara hoped the darkness would conceal their blood stained clothes.

"Welcome to my territory. Much better than your British grounds" he said.

"U.S.A. Nothing more than a country of audacious, arrogant citizens" she said with a tone of amusement and sarcasm.

They walked through a deserted alley so no one could hear them. Lara got a map of the L.A. city out of her backpack as well as one map of the secured building they had to invade.

"Where did you find those?" Kurtis asked. "I stole them! In the aircraft control tower, where we landed" she replied.

"You're unbelievable" "I had a good teacher" she said amusingly, nodding at his side. She looked at the map of the basis.

"So… The basis is in the northern of the state California. But we have to take more equipment to invade the place"

She looked at the map of L.A. "There's a hotel nearby. We'll rest there for the night. We'll get our equipment tomorrow and we'll invade the basis" she said.

"There's one problem" he said.

"What?"

"In case you have forgotten, if someone wants to spend the night in a hotel, they have to have money. You know the little pieces of paper…" he said.

"I know how money looks like. We won't be needing any money. I know the owner of the hotel. He owes me a favour. I'll ask him a room and we'll spend the night there" she said.

Then walked through the main street again, heading for the nearby hotel.

* * *

><p>"Did you hear their conversation?" asked one man.<p>

"No! They held maps. That's all I saw" said the other one, still keeping his binoculars. "Should we inform the boss?" said the same man with the binoculars.

"No, not yet. They don't intend to invade the basis now. They don't have the right equipment. We'll inform him later so he can make the appropriate preparations. For now, we must not lose sight of them" said the other man.

They still kept an eye on the ones they were spying as they were walking away, fading into the dark streets of Los Angeles.

* * *

><p>They headed for the nearest hotel. A label was lighting on and off on the roof. "Comfort" was written on it.<p>

"Now, let's pay an old friend a visit" said Lara and entered the hotel. Kurtis followed her. The hotel looked cheap and it didn't seem to provide as much "comfort" as the label claimed.

A man was sitting in the reception, behind a desk. "I need four minutes. Stay here" she said to Kurtis and she went to the receptionist. Kurtis lit a cigarette.

The man became aware of the woman's presence. "May I help you?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm looking for the owner"

"Well, that's me"

"Oh, really? You seem to have lost weight since the last time I saw you" she said sardonically.

"Who are you, Miss?"

"Don't you recognise me, Jake?"

"Wait a minute. You know my fucking name? Who the hell are you?"

"Lara Croft, idiot. I saved your life once. You owe me a favour" she said demandingly. Jake observed Lara's messy state but didn't even think of asking. He knew that when talking with a woman like Lara, asking could even cost your life.

"Lara? How are you? You've changed"

"Should I take that as a compliment?"

"Take it however you like"

"Look I don't have time to waste. I need a room with two single beds but I'm out of money"

"Why two?"

"You see the man over there? He's with me"

The man stared at Kurtis for a while. He was still smoking his cigarette.

"That one over there?"

Lara nodded positively.

"Strange. I thought you worked alone. So when are you gonna kill him?"

"Actually, I don't intend to kill him"

"Wow! Lara Croft finally fell in love"

"Shut up! I'm not in love with him. We're partners, that's all. Just business". Lara's lies sounded so truthful.

"Then why won't you kill him?"

"Mind your own business, will you? And let me mind my own. Tell me where our room is" she snapped at him.

He got the key of the room and handed it to her.

"Room six, first floor"

"Thanks"

"Have fun you two…" he said teasingly.

"Look, the fact that I saved your life doesn't mean that I don't have the right to correct this mistake" she said. Jake remained silent. He knew that messing with Lara was as crazy as jumping off the seventh floor. Lara walked towards Kurtis who had just finished his cigarette.

"Come on, fearless leader" she said and climbed up the stairs. He followed her.

They both needed some rest as the next day held nothing but surprises. And not pleasant ones…

**A/N: Please tell me what you think, reviews are highly appreciated as well as constructive critisism..! **


	15. Intruders!

Okay, about 12 chapters left in order to finish this story..! They're already written and I'll update them as soon as I correct some mistakes..! I'll try to do so as quickly as I can...! =) Hope you like this chapter..!

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><p><strong>Chapter 14: Intruders!<strong>

_Cowardice; a crime. It stops you from rebelling against everything that troubles you or makes you miserable. Is there any crime worse than accepting a fate you hate because of your fear?_

_Problems. You can deal with them or you can just walk away. But if you run away, they'll haunt you for the rest of your life or until you decide to face them._

_Identity. Sometimes I wonder who I am. Am I a warrior of light who fights for the sake of what people know as God? Or am I consumed by darkness?_

_There is evil inside me. Evil that's crossing through my veins. It's finding its way right to my heart. There is no such thing: Good and Evil. I am both good and evil. All people are both good and evil. The point is, which one will you let determine your actions?_

_Will you fight for Justice… or will you infringe on people's liberty in your search for Power?_

_Kurtis Trent_

The sun rose in the sky of L.A. Sunshine chased every shadow away. The day was cloudy. 9 degrees Celsius.

The basis had security cameras and alarms everywhere. Lasers were inspecting every single corner. He was staring at the lasers, trying to gain concentration. "When I tell you, you run" he finally said. She nodded positively. He used his supernatural abilities to broaden his vision. He waited for a while and so did she.

"Now" he ordered and they both ran fast, avoiding the cameras and the lasers. They reached the main building which they had to invade and finally find those men who would ostensibly save the world from its doom. They got inside the basis by breaking a door after they cautiously avoided the cameras. There were guards everywhere.

"Damn, it's like they already knew that we would come here. Bloody hell" she cursed. "We can't avoid them, they're too many" she stated. "I know" he replied and thought for a while. "You're right; they knew we would come" he then said. "How do you know?"

Kurtis remembered feeling strangely last night, when they were talking in the deserted alley. As if they had been watched. What if they were indeed stalked?

"I just do"

"So?" she asked.

"So we make our presence apparent" _Nothing to lose_, he thought. And then he fired his gun, shooting the guards. Lara took her dual pistols and followed his plan. They kept shooting, avoiding the rain of bullets that derived from the guards. Once they were all lying on the ground, Kurtis and Lara holstered their weapons.

"That wasn't so hard" she said. "Behind you" he shouted and took his gun aiming at Lara's direction. He shot once. All these things happened in less than a couple of seconds so Lara was a bit startled. She looked behind her and saw a man with a bullet in his head collapsing on the ground._ Déjà vu_, she thought.

She looked at Kurtis who had just saved her life. "That was close" she said relieved. "Now we're even" he said and headed for the doors. She followed him.

* * *

><p>"They killed them"<p>

"That was my intention. Those weren't my strongest men. Let them come up here. I'll take care of them"

"Are you sure, sir?"

"Yes. Just inform the group number 8. We won't make them come here that easily. What would be the fun of that?"

"Alright boss" said a man and walked out of the room.

"Group 8, attack. We have visitors. Distract the intruders"

* * *

><p>"The place is like a fucking maze" said Kurtis.<p>

"Then we'll split up. You go this way and I'll take that one" Lara ordered.

"Okay" he said and walked his way.

Lara took the other way with guns in her hands. She tried to open a door on the right wall but it wouldn't open. So she kicked it and it was knocked down. Inside the room, there was a computer and some archives. "Let's see what we can find here" she said to no one and walked towards the computer. She switched it on.

"Password" said a woman's recorded voice of the computer. "Password? Great!" Lara said angrily and switched it off again. She browsed the archives on the nearby desk. She found nothing related to the Nephilim. "Useless! Bloody hell!" she cursed.

"Hold still" a man's voice ordered. Lara was startled. "Put your hands in the air and turn around" he demanded. Lara obeyed doing whatever she was ordered. She saw that the man was aiming at her with a shotgun. "Come with me intruder. I'm sure boss will be happy to receive a visit from you, Croft!" he said. "Too bad I won't be able to make him happy" she said.

"Come with me or you die"

"Oh, you can't kill me, stupid bastard"

"Do you really want to find out?" he said and shot the dest next to her in order to warn her.

She had no other choice. She had a plan on her mind. She just had to wait until she found the right timing. So she followed the man.

* * *

><p>He kept running through the corridors to find a door that would lead him to the six men. Instead, he found a laboratory. He outstretched his arm and the door was knocked down by an invisible force. He got inside and searched for any clues related to the Nephilim. For an instant something caught his eye. He took a piece of paper and read a bolded phrase.<p>

"78631Mars? What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

He continued his search until he found a computer. He switched it on.

"Password" said a woman's recorded voice of the computer.

He didn't know what to type in until his mind flashed back at once. He typed in '78631Mars'.

"Password correct. Access gained" said the recorded voice. "Good" he said satisfactorily.

The computer monitor showed an incomplete research. The research showed something about a genetic mutation.

"Progress complete 92%" said the recorded voice of the computer.

"Shit! They're really becoming Nephilim" he cursed. _And they're actually happy about it. Jerks…_ he mentally added.

"Congratulations about your useful discovery, Mr. Trent" said a voice behind him.

Kurtis turned to face the man that had just spoken. He was holding a riffle. "I'm afraid I have to tell you you're under arrest. Gentlemen?" said the man.

Then, two mercenaries appeared and aimed at him with guns. Kurtis had a tough and furious look on his face. However, none of the three men attempted to shoot him or take him out of the room by force. It was as if they were expecting him to go with them on his own. Kurtis slightly laughed. That made the man wonder.

"What's so funny?"

"What makes you think I'll come with you, fucker?"

"The fact that I captured your beloved partner, perhaps" the man said viciously.

Kurtis widened his eyes. They had gotten Lara.

"Let me put it that way. If you don't cooperate, I'll kill her. Simple as that" the man threatened.

"Fine" Kurtis said coldly. He wouldn't put Lara's safety at such risk.

"Guns down" said the man and the other two obeyed.

Then the three men got out of the laboratory, knowing that Kurtis would follow. If he didn't, Lara's fate would be determined accordingly…


	16. The Haunting

**Hello again..! I would like to thank en-lumine, Metalgirl3135 and Angy1996 for supporting me all along with their reviews! =) Thank you girls, it is really appreciated..! xD**

**Note: The lyrics in the beginning are from the song Lies by the band Evanescence.. I do not own rights of the song..!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 15: The Haunting<strong>

_Bound at every limb by my shackles of fear_

_Sealed with lies through so many tears_

_Lost from within, pursuing the end_

_I fight for the chance to be lied to again_

_But through my tears breaks a blinding light_

_birthing a dawn to this endless night_

_Arms outstretched, awaiting me_

_An open embrace upon a bleeding tree_

_Evanescence - Lies_

His wrists were tied. Guns aimed at his direction. He was led to a big room. Security cameras everywhere. Guards ready to shoot. But he would never give them the pleasure of showing them his fear. He wouldn't. "Open the gate" ordered the lead man. His order was carried out. The gigantic gate opened and revealed an elegant room. It was like none guilty secret was hidden in there.

The man entered the room. He nodded his men to let Kurtis as long as his wrists were still tied. He stood there with an angry look. "Please, come in Mr. Trent. We have many things to discuss" the man said. At first he did nothing but after a while he obeyed hesitatingly. The gate closed behind them. There was silence. The room was dark and the walls were damaged. Many cracks were decorating it.

"Sit" said the man. "The others are on their way" "The others?" Kurtis wondered. "The other five of the organisation of course" the man informed.

As soon as he finished his sentence, another door behind them opened. Five men entered the room. Their faces were covered by a long black cloak as well as their bodies. One of them handed a cloak to the man beside Kurtis. He wore it. "What the fuck is going on here?" he said wrathfully. "Ah, don't be impatient Mr. Trent. You'll see" the man said.

"We are the beginning of a new order. We will become immortal and rule this world thanks to your blood and master Karel" said one of the dark organisation. "Karel?"

"Yes, he has been helping us bring tyranny back to rule the world all along"

Kurtis wanted to do something. Anything. But his wrists were tied and for an inexplicable reason, he could not use his supernatural powers.

The men surrounded a circular table in the middle of the room and started whispering some dark anthems. Kurtis was standing there unable to do something, watching their ritual.

Suddenly, some creepy whispers were echoing in the whole room. They caused pain to Kurtis' ears. The whispers became louder. Then the walls became decorated with strange symbols and hypnotising lights.

The organisation made a loud scream and after that shadows were unleashed from the walls of the now haunted room. The shadows surrounded Kurtis and haunted his soul with their disgusting whispers. He felt that their voices were familiar. He looked at them more carefully. Then he realised. He remembered them. They were various people he had killed. The souls he had taken away from this life and led to the next one. They haunted him. They were hungry for revenge. All the people he had murdered, innocent and non innocent, were around him. One of them touched his skin and he felt chills down his spine. His skin crawled. He felt dizzy by the voices of the dead people.

"You're gonna die…" "Vengeance…" "We'll take your soul…" they were whispering right to his ear. He shut his eyes, wishing for it to be soon over. They kept calling him by the name he hated the most and desperately wanted to hide. His father's name: Heissturm.

"This is your end, Heissturm…"

He opened his eyes and noticed that the shadows were still there. Afterwards, he looked at his hands. They were paradoxically untied now but they were full of blood. The blood of the people he had murdered throughout his life of duty and cruelty, all for his own selfish desire; Revenge.

Then the walls started bleeding. He wondered whether he was hallucinating or this was really happening.

He looked at the six people. They were now holding a container of blood. As soon as he saw that, he felt sick to his stomach. He had a bad feeling about that.

"Whose blood is that?" he asked hesitatingly. He hoped not to hear the name he feared he would.

"Whose do you think?" the man said. Then he uttered the words Kurtis wished he wouldn't hear at that moment.

"Lara Croft's"

Kurtis' anger rose. He was full of rage and hatred. His adrenaline crossed its limits. He ignored the shadows and the men and ran as fast as he could. He kicked down the door and kept running. He found many doors. He tried to use his supernatural powers and was glad to find out that this time he could use them. He knocked the doors down one by one with his powers and in the fifth door, he found Lara.

He felt relieved until he noticed not a little amount of blood on her left arm. She looked up and faced him.

"Kurtis?" she said relieved. He stepped to her direction. Then she widened her eyes.

"Kurtis don't! It's a trap!" she screamed.

The next events happened in splits of seconds. She ran towards him extremely rapidly and pushed him away. He fell on the ground. He raised his head to face Lara and gasped in surprise. Lara had been shot on the chest. She collapsed on the ground. Kurtis stood up immediately, took his trustful Glaive and cut the shooter's throat off. The spinning five-bladed weapon returned to its owner. Then he ran towards Lara and kneeled beside her.

"Lara…" he called her name sorrowfully.

"What the hell did you just do? What were you thinking?" he asked.

It was obvious that he was in shock.

"He was about… to kill you" she replied weakly and then groaned in pain.

He looked into her eyes while caressing her cheek. She had just saved his life.

"Come on. I'll get you out of here" he said reassuringly.

"No… Go! You'll get left behind with me! I can do it" she said but after those words he became more determined.

"No way!" he said and raised her in his strong arms.

With Lara in his arms he headed for the door. Her blood turned his shirt into red. She was bleeding heavily. He got out of the room and ran but a man with a gun aimed at their direction made him stop. Kurtis didn't know what to do. Fortunately, Lara was able to react. She took her gun with her unharmed arm at once and shot the man on the head. He fell lifeless on the ground. He kept running but Lara didn't seem to be doing so well and her breathing became unpaced and heavy so he let her lean against a wall and kneeled beside her, checking her wound.

"It's bad, isn't it?" she asked powerless.

"You're gonna be fine" he reassured her.

"You're lying" she said.

Then she couldn't say anything else. She felt paralysed and then lost her consciousness. He checked for a pulse. He found a faint one. Her skin was very cold. "Come on Lara! Hold on!" he said, trying so hard not to lose his composure. Seeing her so badly injured hurt even more than the regrets of his past.

He took her in his arms again and started running. Alarms were activated. A constant, alarming noise was echoing through the whole building. Sirens were set off. He ran and hid and ran again until he found the exit. He sighed in relief and got out of this building of hell.

He ran without stopping with Lara in his arms, until the building was no longer visible. The thing that next happened took him by surprise. It was raining. But it wasn't normal rain. The rain was blood-red. As if gods that dwelled in the skies were heavily bleeding. The skies were also red. Ravens were flying in circles above their heads, announcing that death was lying ahead. They were cawing and the blood-red rain falling from the skies had painted their wings red. But this extraordinary phenomenon wasn't Kurtis' main concern right now.

He put Lara on the ground and kneeled beside her. He touched her hand with his and started whispering words in the Nephilim language. He woke up the darkest side of himself again and ordered his Nephilim nature to obey him and send him and Lara back to the World of Darkness. His eyes turned from blue to black and his whispers became louder. Suddenly, a blinding light surrounded him and Lara.

A sudden lightning struck near both of them and as soon as the blinding light disappeared, they were nowhere to be seen…


	17. Returning To Darkness

**So here's the next chapter, taking place back to the Dark World...**

**Note: Lara's and Putai's dialogue was taken by the AoD hidden data files of the game and it was found in the KTEB site.. ****And as always:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any Tomb Raider characters, they belong to Eidos. However, Saphira was created by me!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 16: Returning to Darkness<strong>

_Lara woke up in a dark place. Sunlight was breaking through some cracks of this abandoned room. The place reminded her of something but she couldn't recall. After a while, she realised. She was in the place she feared and hated the most. In the place she almost got killed. She was in the tombs of Egypt where the man she considered her mentor abandoned her._

_"No! I have out get out of here" she said and started running but a noise behind her stopped her. She turned and faced the person who had healed her after that tragic incident._

_"Putai?" she called surprised._

_"You are almost returned to your full powers now. You are learning well, Lara. Each challenge makes you stronger. Your inner strength is increasing. You are almost fully restored. One battle is not the whole war, Lara. There are dangers, as yet unseen, that are aligned against you. A new world order is poised to emerge from the shadows. You must make your stand. The future needs you, now more than ever."_

_"But I don't know how to make things right" Lara said, losing her self-confidence._

_"You will find the way"_

_A blinding light appeared and as soon as it was gone, Lara was all alone again._

_"What is happening?"_

_Then she saw a door open right in front of her. She decided to walk through it and find out what was lying ahead…_

Saphira was busy with some new spells she wanted to practise on. The world she lived in was dark and merciless but she always found joy in practising her abilities on the various spells this place hid well.

Out of the blue, the ground trembled. "Now what did I do wrong?" she questioned aloud.

Then a strong light appeared in front of her. It was so bright and blinding that it made Saphira fall on the ground and shut her eyes. When she managed to open her eyes again, she made out a strong figure holding someone in his arms.

The light started fading away and after a while it completely disappeared. She realised who had mysteriously invaded her territory in such way. It was Kurtis. His clothes were full of blood but she understood that this blood wasn't his. He was holding Lara in his arms, who was bleeding heavily.

"What the hell happened?" Saphira asked him nervously. He lay Lara on the ground. She was unconscious. "Don't tell me you performed the same ritual I did in order to transport you to the Real World" she said.

Kurtis didn't utter a word. He was just looking at Lara, trying to take care of her wound.

"Are you mad? You could get yourself killed, you know that? Waking up your Nephilim nature could put you in big trouble. And not only you but all of us" she yelled at him. This wasn't his concern right now so he didn't bother to extend to the subject. He remained cold to her words.

"Heal her" he simply ordered. "What? No, I can't do that?" she refused. "Why not?" he questioned.

"Because if I heal her, it'll be a sign that I'm choosing your side in this war. I told you I'm on no one's side. If she survives she'll be lucky. There's nothing I can do. I'm sorry" she said but her words didn't seem to comfort Kurtis.

"I said heal her" he said, raising the tone of his voice. "Look, it was obvious she wouldn't survive. She's a human after all. What can she offer to the Shadow War?" she stated coldly.

Kurtis was furious by her words. He took his gun an aimed at her direction. "If you don't heal her, I swear I'm gonna fucking kill you" he shouted wrathfully. She was cold with fear. She was fighting hard to hide it but she couldn't help but make it apparent. No words escaped her mouth.

"DO IT NOW!" he yelled at her, full of desperation and anxiety. He pushed his gun harder to her temple. "Okay!" she managed to say to prevent him from killing her. Because she knew that for Lara, he would kill her.

She approached the unconscious Lara and kneeled beside her. He kept staring at her nervously, gun still in his hand. Saphira touched Lara's wound and murmured some strange words. Then she took a magic potion from the nearby table and threw it to the ground. Red smoke appeared and vanished. Lara was still lying on the ground.

"It's going to take a while but she'll be fine. I'll take care of her. Go to the door on your left. I found some clean clothes that might fit you. Get ready, you have a battle to fight" Saphira said in an extremely calm tone that made Kurtis a bit suspicious. He kept staring at her with doubt. "I'll take care of her, I promise" she reassured him. After that, he decided to trust her.

Taking a last glance at Lara, he headed for the door on his left.

He entered the room. On the bed opposite the door, there was an outfit. There were some black trousers and a white long-sleeved shirt with black sleeves. He took off his dirty, blood-stained clothes and wore his new outfit. He silently wondered how Saphira was able to find such clothes. In fact, these clothes fit him perfectly. Like she knew his clothes-size or something. After a while, the door opened.

"I have to go back and face them" he told Saphira but never turned to face her. Saphira knew of whom he was talking about. She had been watching them all along, making sure they were alright.

"This is dangerous. And a total waste of time" Saphira stated and Kurtis turned to face her. "Their power derives from Karel and no one else. They depend on him. If you strike straight to the core, they're doomed too. Karel is your main focus now, not them" she explained to Kurtis, who was now convinced that she was right.

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><p>He lay in bed, trying to gain his thoughts and chase the fear away but it was hopeless. And also, he was afraid that Lara wouldn't make it. It had been more than two hours since he brought her to Saphira and she still hadn't woken up. Instead of trying to get some rest, he stood up and started wandering around the room as if this would change things.<p>

Out of the blue, the door opened behind him and closed again. He didn't pay much attention and didn't speak, thinking that it was Saphira who had entered the room. However, he turned and saw who was actually standing in front of him. It was Lara. She seemed so peaceful, as if she had taken a good-night sleep. She didn't have any wounds or blood. She wasn't wearing her blood-stained camouflage shorts and her black tops. She was wearing brown shorts and sleeveless turquoise tops.

They didn't say a word for about a minute. They were just looking at each other. "How are you feeling?" Kurtis managed to say. She was glad that he spoke first. "Fine. I'm okay" she said calmly. She seemed so peaceful. Kurtis had never seen her so calm before. "Saphira told me what happened. And what you did in order to convince her to heal me. You really didn't have to threaten her like that" she said with a smile. He smiled back. "Thank you" she said honestly.

He took a few steps towards her. "Don't mention it. You saved my ass again after all" he said sarcastically. She laughed at that. "Anyway, I just wanted to thank you" she said. "No problem" he told her again. They kept looking into each other's eyes. They didn't know what to say in order to break the silence.

He narrowed the distance between their faces. She leaned closer to his face as soon as she got the message. Their faces were only a few inches away. However, at the exact inappropriate moment, Saphira got inside the room and interrupted them. They widened the distance between them with a sudden move as soon as they heard the door.

"Is everything alright?" Saphira asked. "Fine. Everything's fine" Lara said trying so hard not to look at Kurtis. He tried not to look at Lara either. "Okay then. I've got your equipment inside. And I prepared some potions for you. I thought they would come in useful" Saphira informed.

"Thanks" Lara said in a more lively manner this time. There was a worried look on Saphira's face and Lara noticed that. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing. Nothing. It's just… Look, I'm sorry about before. I just didn't know if I should take that risk. I really want to see my father just once. Just to say goodbye. I didn't know if I should sacrifice the time I had been waiting for him, to save you. Deep inside me, I know which side I'm on" Saphira said sadly, regretting her previous actions.

"It's alright. Really. I understand" Lara said, trying to comfort her by putting her hands on Saphira's shoulders. Kurtis was confused. _Is she crazy? She could die because of her and now she's offering comfort to her?_ he wondered to himself.

"Look, as soon as it's over, I'll try to find your father. I promise" Lara said. "No, Lara. It's not your burden to carry" Saphira told her.

"It's alright. I will"

After a lot of thinking, Saphira said with hesitation; "Okay. As you wish. Come inside"

And she walked to her room of spells. Lara nodded to Kurtis to follow and got inside. After a while, he followed her to the room.

* * *

><p>Saphira handed them their equipment. Lara wore her holsters round her hips and put her dual pistols in them after she had checked that they were loaded. She opened her backpack to check if her cloak was inside. It was. She took her backpack and wore it. Kurtis wore his shoulder holsters and put his Boran-X inside. He took his strange weapon which was perfectly connected to his mind and hang it to his belt.<p>

Saphira gave them some potions. "What are these?" Kurtis asked.

"They reduce your need for food, water, sleep and make you feel stronger. They also heal wounds and inner injuries. You're going to need them. I wish I could do more than that" Saphira said and handed two potions to Kurtis and two to Lara.

"Oh, almost forgot. I managed to re-forge the pieces of the Crystal Shard but it's powerless. There's nothing more I can do about it" she stated and handed the Crystal Shard to Lara.

"It's okay. Thanks" Lara said and hoped that this would make Saphira feel better. They headed for the door to get back to the surface as they were underground. Suddenly, Kurtis stopped and Lara wondered why. He turned to face Saphira.

"I hope you choose the right side" he said. Saphira smiled, confident about herself and her decision.

"I've already chosen the right side. And I don't feel regret" she replied confidently. Kurtis slightly smiled and walked towards the exit. Lara followed him with hasty steps. Saphira was staring at them until they completely faded away, into the darkness.

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><p>Darkness.<p>

The sky was black. Shadows wandering in a world that hasn't seen a crystal blue sky for a very long time. A monastery was on the crest of a tall mountain, waiting for sunshine. Mists were haunting the lost souls. Souls that had been swallowed by darkness. There was nothing more but darkness. It was so suffocating. There wasn't anyone there to save the World from Shadows. The Rise of Salvation had long since faded. The only thing that could be seen in this forsaken world was Darkness.

"This place hasn't changed at all" Lara said sorrowfully while looking up to the sky which was covered with black clouds.

"It _has_ changed. It's become even darker" Kurtis said. He closed his eyes as the light rain was falling on him. Lara noticed that and smiled. "Then we'll change that" she said, full of determination and confidence. He opened his eyes and looked at her in the eyes. After that, he was also filled with strength. She always made him feel strong and invulnerable whenever he lost hope. She took a little more determination from those blue eyes and smiled.

They looked at the Castle of Obscurity. Their final battle against their mutual enemy would take place there. They were unsure about what was lying ahead. Uncertainty flooded their souls when they thought about their fight in this place.

"It's time, isn't it?" Lara said solemnly. "No. Not yet" Kurtis answered her. She looked at him, confused. "What do you mean? I thought those six men were linked to Karel. So, shouldn't we fight him to end this once and for all?" she said overwhelmed.

Kurtis looked at her.

"There is one more thing that should be done" he said and walked away from the Castle that had caused him so much pain in the past.

Lara didn't know what he was talking about. _Well, he's going to tell me sooner or later._

Catching a last glimpse of the Castle, she followed him into the mists as lighting instantly covered the sky above the Castle of Obscurity…

**A/N: It all begins now… Please don't hate me for the huge cliffhanger, I'll be updating as soon as possibel..! =)**


	18. Before The End

**Hello again..! Here's the next chapter which is going to be a response to the huge cliffhanger of the previous chapter! Hope you like it..! :)**

**Inspiration song: Whisper (2002 Demo) by the band Evanescence**

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><p><strong>Chapter 17: Before The End<strong>

"Beyond the Cursed Mount… Follow the trail and you'll find the fortress" Alexander instructed. "Only there can the Crystal Shard regain its power" he added.

"Thank you, Alexander" Lara muttered.

"Glad to see that you're okay" Kurtis said. Alexander had been trying to hide from Karel, who might had been suspecting that he was the cause that Kurtis was released. He was currently staying in the hut that Lara once used to hide. "Being okay is a luxury in this world, Kurtis" Alexander claimed.

"But seeing you two reunited makes me really happy, indeed" he also confessed. They both looked at Alexander and smiled in realisation. "I'll try to reach you in the Castle of Obscurity as soon as I can" he informed.

"I believe we'll be fine" Lara said. "Lara; always looking on the bright side of things" Kurtis stated a bit sarcastically. "Well, optimism is a virtue nowadays" Alexander said and smiled. "Look, there's something I want you two to know…" Alexander confessed, now being solemn. Kurtis and Lara looked at him, willing to listen carefully to his next words.

"If I ever disappoint you, in any way… Please, forgive me… I would never betray the Order but if I ever do, please help me restore my honour… And don't hate me" Alexander sorrowfully stated. Both Lara and Kurtis were confused by his words but they nodded positively. Alexander smiled.

"Go now, you have no time to waste. Take care of each other" Alexander said and waved goodbye. Lara and Kurtis started walking away, after he said to Alexander; "Take care of yourself".

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><p>The rain became heavier. The mist became dense. The permanent darkness became more suffocating.<p>

The Union of Light headed for a tall fortress after they had walked a long distance, away from the Castle of Obscurity. Determination flooded their souls. They were ready for their final battle.

The gigantic gates of the fortress made them look really tiny. It was so enormous that Lara wondered how it wasn't visible from the place she had once settled in. Kurtis walked ahead and raised his arms. He whispered some strange words and the gates opened. Lara was impressed by the size of the tall building but she was more impressed by Kurtis' special abilities. His bloodline was fuelled by various rituals of sorcery and alchemy and they were transmitted from generation to generation via blood.

They entered the fortress with hasty steps. Lara expected to see people who had suffered the same fate she and Kurtis had. However, she saw no one. It was only her and him. She felt like she was lost in an endless void.

They wandered into the fortress until they found a room. Lara wondered how Kurtis was able to orientate in an environment he had never been in before. The room was gargantuan and had six crystal stones nailed to the ground. They were a little taller than Lara. The stones were shaping a circle and in the middle of it there was a tabouret with rare gems and an elaborate decoration. There was a thick book on it. When Lara noticed it more carefully, she realised it was the Bible.

She couldn't keep her mouth shut anymore. Her impatience wouldn't let her remain silent, without collecting information.

"What is this place? What's going to happen here?" she asked, looking forward to an answer.

"You'll see…" Kurtis coldly replied.

"Give me the Shard" he spoke again and Lara did so. He put it on the Bible.

"Stay back" he then warned solemnly.

"What are you going to do?" she asked worried.

"Just do as I say and you'll see" he said, a little angry with Lara's impatience. She obeyed her enigmatic partner.

He closed his eyes to concentrate. He had to recall the ritual appropriate in this occasion. After a while, he opened his piercing, dark blue eyes. He spoke some words in Latin. Lara was able to translate them inside her. The words roughly said: With the power of the Light of Truth, I'm calling the angels of Heaven. With the forces of Light, I bring the power of the Crystal Shard back were it belongs…

Suddenly, the six orientated crystal stones shone a strange, hypnotising, blue light. With their light, they became connected. The light became brighter and strong lighting struck the Crystal Shard on the Bible. Kurtis stepped backwards to protect himself and went beside Lara who was speechless by what was taking place before her eyes.

After that, a pair of bright, white wings became visible…

Kurtis smiled victoriously at that because of his achievement but Lara was so shocked that she couldn't react. The light began to fade away and Lara's eyes widened due to the sight before her. It was an angel. An angel, so beautiful, so magnificent. Her eyes were sparkling and her wings were so bright that they seemed to put an end to this constant darkness.

The angel touched the Crystal Shard and it floated in the air. They both stared in wonder. The Crystal Shard shone a light, just like it used to do so before its destruction, and then touched the Bible again. They both understood that the Shard was powerful once again. The angel raised her beautiful face to see the people who were staring at her.

"The power of Light is by your side, strong warriors. We have never been called so intensely before" she said.

Then she approached Kurtis and touched his face with her hand. He closed his eyes to enjoy the contact with her soft skin and felt very peaceful and in perfect harmony. He had never felt so calm before.

"You are a strong warrior, Lux Veritatis. The Light of Truth is inside you. We believe in you. But you must also believe in yourself" the angel said.

Kurtis opened his eyes and faced her sparkling ones. The angel turned to face Lara. She touched her face with her soft wings and a strange, serene feeling rose inside her. A feeling she had never experienced before. She looked the angel into the eyes.

"You are a mortal but stronger than a god. Your determination and inner strength will get you far. You've gained our faith. You're strong enough to fight on our side" she said and removed her smooth wings from her skin.

Lara felt emptiness and instinctively raised her hand to touch the feathers of the angel's wings one last time. The angel floated above the Bible.

"Union of Light, the future is in your hands. You are powerful and now with the Crystal Shard, you will be able to defeat Evil. Now go! The angels of Heaven are on your side. We will be guiding your way and we will be giving you strength" said the angel loudly and with a sudden move of her magnificent wings, she ascended and with a luminous cloud around her, she disappeared.

Lara was unable to speak or move and so was Kurtis. The Crystal Shard was still on the Bible, sparkling. They looked at each other. Lara saw Kurtis being so peaceful for the first time in her life. He noticed that Lara was also very calm. She took some steps ahead and took the Crystal Shard in her hands. Kurtis was observing her, feeling that the time had finally come.

"We're ready" he said calmly.

She turned to face him and with souls full of incorruptible determination and certainty, they walked out of the room in which the incidents had taken place.

As they were walking away, the light of the crystal stones faded away. Suddenly, a bright light appeared in front of them and they both wondered what that was. The light became brighter. They heard a voice echoing in their ears.

…We will be guiding your way…

With a last determined glance to each other, Lara Croft and Kurtis Trent followed the light before them, giving them guidance and hope for their final battle, their final chance to fight for life…

**A/N: For those who believed that I had forgotten about Alexander...: I don't think so! He's going to play an important role on the next chapters! Please, tell me what you think..!**


	19. Rise To Meet The End

**Hello and thank you very much for your reviews, Metalgirl3135, en-lumine and Angy1996! Your support is greatly appreciated! ****I'm glad you like the chapters so far! xD**

**Okay, here's the next chapter..! Hope you like it..! Lyrics in the beginning are from the song Whisper by the band Evanescence (as it is written below..!)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 18: Rise To Meet The End<strong>

_Fallen angels at my feet._

_Whispered voices at my ear._

_Death before my eyes_

_lying next to me, I fear._

_She beckons me, shall I give in?_

_Upon my end, shall I begin?_

_Forsaking all I've fallen for I rise to meet the end..._

_Evanescence - Whisper_

Hope

was their compass. The angels were on their side. However, they felt as if they would be swallowed in Hell. But they wouldn't give up. They would fight 'till their bitter end. As long as they were alive, they had the right to

hope.

They walked for several minutes until they reached the Castle of Obscurity. Lara was afraid; an emotion she was not accustomed to. But she wasn't afraid of dying or being tortured. She was afraid of watching Kurtis die. Her worst nightmare, her darkest fear. If this ever became her reality, she would lose every trace of hope and every reason to live and fight for this world.

Kurtis felt frightened. But he wasn't frightened by the dangers lying ahead. He was frightened by the thought of loosing Lara.

"This is the place it all began" Kurtis' voice interrupted Lara's thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"Castle of Obscurity… Obscura Paintings… They were created in this castle" he told her.

Lara looked at him in realisation._ He's right. It fits._ But that thought brought her hesitation. She was in the core of the Shadow War's darkness. In the beginning of it all. She was close to the edge of the destruction that was lying ahead. The Castle now seemed darker to her for some reason, as if it was challenging them, waiting for their demise.

"It's time" he said and took the first steps forwards.

Lara sighed and followed him. While they were walking, she checked for her potions and the Crystal Shard. Still there. They finally reached the gates. He used his telekinetic powers and with an invisible force the gates opened, revealing a place that could only lead them to their dark fate.

The gigantic, wooden gates closed behind them as soon as they got inside the Castle. It was paradoxically deserted. No guards, no Nephilim creatures and Karel was nowhere to be seen. No sound or whisper could be heard.

"Let's search the place" Lara said.

"I don't think it's a good idea to split up" he said. "You'd better stay with me" he continued.

"But-"

"Stay-With-Me!" he said demandingly.

Lara knew that she should stay with him. She knew nothing about the place. Then she remembered that Kurtis had spent some time there so he knew the place a little better.

"Okay" she told him.

He nodded and she followed him. Then he took his gun and she imitated his move by taking her dual pistols.

They climbed up some stairs and were led to a huge corridor. There were many doors. Kurtis' eyes spotted one door and then he froze. He stood there without moving, just looking at it. Lara wondered what was wrong with him. He stepped slowly towards it and when he reached it, he pushed it open. The door opened, revealing his painful past. Lara took a look of the room. She couldn't believe her eyes. She understood what had been taking place in there all along.

She saw a pair of chains hanged on the ceiling. On the ground there was blood. Not fresh though. A whip and some syringes where lying on the corner of the room. The tubes that were once transferring blood were hanging in the air.

She understood. This is where Kurtis had been all this time, before she found him again. Alexander kept telling her he was alright but in reality, he was in there, being tortured and being used for dark experiments.

The room brought moments of agony in Kurtis' mind. He couldn't look at it anymore. He shut the door with a violent move. It was apparent that he was upset. Lara put a hand on his shoulder from behind him.

"It's over now. It's alright. It belongs to the past" she said, trying to comfort him.

"It's still painful" he almost whispered, his silent voice reflecting only pain.

"I know" she replied. "But think of it this way; you had a reason to fight and remain alive, didn't you?" she said, referring to his duty in the Shadow War.

He turned and faced her. It was then when he realised how truly beautiful she was. Then he felt that his efforts hadn't been in vain. His struggle to remain alive was for good reason. For her… He would sacrifice even more than that to save such beauty. He got close to her.

"Yes. I had a reason" he said. Lara smiled, content with the fact that he had found his courage again.

"It's a pleasure to see you again!"

A voice behind them startled both of them. The voice was way too familiar. They turned and faced their worst enemy.

"Came to meet your end?" he spoke again.

"All these things happened because of you. Founding an organisation to bring tyranny back to earth was very clever, indeed" Lara said to him, adding tones of irony to her last sentence. "But this is going to be over".

"Not before I take your lives away" Karel said wrathfully.

"You won't touch her, bastard!" Kurtis said furiously.

Lara looked at him confused. She knew he always cared about her but every time he seemed to put himself in danger in order to save her, she felt fear. She didn't want him to get harmed because of her. She would hate herself if so.

"Ah… You love her. So sweet" Karel said ironically and apparently disgusted.

"But she's going to betray you like everybody else" he continued.

"What do you mean?" Lara said in anger, trying to interpret the meaning of his words. Karel was a clever man, a worthy enemy, he would never speak random words. He looked at them and laughed, finding their unawareness funny and worth mocking.

"So you don't know" he said. They simply looked at him wrathfully.

"Do you know why Alexander released you, Trent?"

Kurtis didn't utter a word. His eyes tested Karel's ones wrathfully, just waiting for a response.

"Because I told him to. He worked for me"

Kurtis widened his eyes, full of surprise and disbelief. Lara was in the same state. Would Alexander ever betray them? And if he even did, why?

_~Revelation I~_

_"You call this alright?" said Kurtis, sarcastically and furiously at the same time._

_"Just go, son" said Alexander and with that Kurtis got out of the room._

_Alexander lowered his head in shame. Then a man approached him and patted him on the shoulder._

_"Good job!" Karel praised him._

_"What about our deal?" Alexander said in a manner as if he had regretted his previous actions._

_"I'll keep my promise. You'll see your daughter very soon" Karel said and exited the room. Alexander stood there repentant. His only consolation was that he would be able to see his beloved daughter again, whom he had lost a long time ago…_

_~End of Revelation I~_

Lara and Kurtis looked at Karel in disbelief. They couldn't believe what was just disclosed but something inside them told them that this was the truth.

"You're lying" Kurtis eventually managed to say.

"Am I? Then how do you think you've gotten this far? Didn't you wonder how come I didn't hunt you or him down? I had a plan. And thanks to your pathetic warrior friend and both of you, it worked perfectly. You were my pawns" their enemy said.

"LIAR!" screamed Lara, who had lost her temper.

"Who, do you think, was behind your little journey? It was me. I've been hiding in the shadows all along. Do you know what really happened in the Monastery?" the Nephilim said, getting pleasure from causing them so much mental pain.

_~Revelation II~_

_There was a bang. A strong bang. The three people got down to protect themselves._

_"Go! Quickly! Don't waste time" screamed the monk. Lara and Kurtis ran out of the hidden room._

_The monk felt a burden of remorse upon his shoulders. Then a man appeared from the shadows of the room._

_"Don't worry, you did the right thing to protect your heritage. Don't forget that I would kill all of the monks if you didn't cooperate" said the man._

_"What about our agreement?" asked the monk._

_"I keep my promises. I won't bother you and your little friends here, ever again"_

_"Okay then" said the monk and walked out of the room._

_The man smiled devilishly and with a sudden move of his arms, green light surrounded him and he mysteriously vanished._

_~End of Revelation II~_

There was a dead silence in the room. Both Lara and Kurtis were shocked by those revelations.

"I will rule the earth and humanity will no longer exist. Thanks to you, of course" Karel said and then he raised his arms.

Green light surrounded him. Then the ground started shaking. It was like an earthquake was taking place. Plasters began to fall apart. Suddenly, the ground was torn apart and big gorges were instantly shaped. A tall tower ascended from the ground, knocking the roof down and taking the three of them within it as they were standing on its floor. The tower was gigantic. Bright lighting appeared in the skies, surrounding the peak of the tower.

After that, they knew that their final battle had just begun…


	20. Hands Of Fate

**Chapter 19: Hands Of Fate**

_The last battle has just begun. Our purpose is to protect the light and make it fill the souls of humans. They do not know what kind of battles are fought every day for their own salvation. The war throughout history has to end. When it does, peace will rule the earth._

_Angels of Heaven_

The orientation of the building had completely changed due to the ascension of the tower. Their enemy was nowhere to be seen. But a former friend who was now a traitor, was. Lara and Kurtis noticed a figure running through a hall. It was the man they thought that they could trust, but they thought wrong; Alexander.

He ran towards them. "My friends, you finally made it" he said but received no response.

He took a look at the Crystal Shard hanged on Lara's belt.

"The Crystal Shard reunited again. Great! Now we have to kill Karel and it will all be over" he went on.

"There is no _we_, Alexander. You're alone this time" said Lara furiously.

Kurtis said nothing and kept looking at his ex-mentor wrathfully.

"What? No, no, it's not what you think it is" he tried to excuse himself.

By their behaviour, he understood that Karel had revealed the truth to them.

"Then what is it?" asked Kurtis but his question wasn't answered.

"You're a traitor. You betrayed the Order, you betrayed my father! Me…" Kurtis said full of rage while taking slow and threatening steps towards Alexander. Alexander knew that those words were true but he wouln't step back like a scared kitty. Even when in disadvantage, he would defend himself and protect his honour…

"No, wait…" Alexander muttered.

"I've been waiting for years to have my revenge. Not anymore…" Kurtis said with wrath.

He took his Chirugai and made its five blades reveal themselves.

"No Kurtis, listen to me! I did this only to see my daughter"

Kurtis stopped at that point. He didn't intend to let him live but wanted to listen to this. And also, he believed he did deserve an explanation for Alexander's unpredicted actions.

"I lost her a long time ago. She was gone in vain. I wanted to see her again. Just to say goodbye. Karel said that she got trapped here somewhere. In this very place. He said that if I helped him, he would bring her to me. It's always hard for a warrior to choose between his honour and the ones he loves…" said Alexander. Kurtis remained cold and aloof from any emotional expression.

"Wouldn't you sacrifice anything just to see your father again? Wouldn't you betray the Lux Veritatis in order to save Lara?" Alexander went on.

Kurtis raised his thick eyebrows. His father was a delicate subject for him. He might have been an inexpressive and cruel man but he was his father. He thought he hated him. But he didn't and unfortunately, Kurtis had to lose him to realise that. And for Lara… _I'd rather die than to see her get harmed_, he mentally responded.

Lara was lost in her own thoughts. She felt as if something was missing from Alexander's story. Afterwards, she widened her eyes as she remembered.

"No! No, it can't be!" she whispered but no one listened to her.

_~Flashback~_

_"All I want is to see the Light rise again" she thought loudly._

_"If you wanna see the Light rise, why do you help them?" Kurtis asked with a tough tone, referring to the Cabal and Karel. "Yes! Why?" Lara agreed with Kurtis, repeating his question. "Karel promised to bring my father back. I lost my parents long time ago. He said he would help me see my father again if took his offer of keeping an impartial position. So I did" she explained to them._

_..._

_There was a worried look on Saphira's face and Lara noticed that. "What's wrong?" she asked._

_"Nothing. Nothing. It's just… Look, I'm sorry about before. I just didn't know if I should take that risk. I really want to see my father just once. Just to say goodbye…_

_~End of Flashback~_

Lara looked at Alexander astonished. "Your daughter's name was Saphira, wasn't it?" she asked him. Kurtis looked at her confused.

"Yes! Yes, it was! How do you know?" said Alexander. Kurtis looked at Lara, astonished as well by that revelation.

"Saphira is…"

"…Alexander's daughter!" Lara completed his sentence.

As soon as she completed her sentence, the ground trembled beneath them. All of the sudden, the ground was torn apart and Lara and Kurtis fell inside the void.

Alexander looked inside the hole but they had disappeared. He screamed their names in horror. He didn't want them to die. Never did he wish such a thing. "I'm sorry" he whispered, although he knew they didn't listen to that. "I hope you can forgive me".

Then he made his way to find Karel and hopefully, his daughter too.

"Ah, you came to retrieve your reward, didn't you Alexander?" Karel said. "We had a deal" Alexander stated. "And I tend to keep my deals" Karel replied.

Then he performed a quick ritual and mists covered a particular spot. As soon as they faded away, Alexander was face to face with his daughter.

"Who dares disturbing me?" she said angrily. Her anger faded away as soon as she faced her father. Alexander felt guilty because he had betrayed Kurtis and Lara but now all his guilt seemed to have gone. She felt content. Karel had kept his promise to both of them.

"Saphira?" said Alexander with tears in his eyes. "It's been so long. You've changed" he continued.

"Father?" Saphira said and ran into her father's arms. She burst into tears.

"I missed you so much, father" she said and they hugged each other for about a minute. Suddenly, Saphira jolted and gasped. Alexander didn't know why. He broke off the hug to face his daughter. Blood was flowing from her mouth. He saw her stomach; she was bleeding. Saphira took a deep breath and as soon as she exhaled her last breath, she collapsed on the ground lifeless.

Alexander saw Karel in front of him with a knife in his hands. It was full of blood. "What did you do?" Alexander questioned, shocked.

"Our deal was to see her, not to let her live. It's not my fault that you didn't manage to say goodbye" Karel replied devilishly.

"You motherfucker!" Alexander yelled at him wrathfully and rapidly assaulted him. His rage made him blind. He was stabbed by the same knife his daughter had been seconds earlier. The Nephilim stabbed him harder this time and he violently pulled out the knife. Alexander collapsed on the floor.

Suddenly, a strong crystalline force struck Karel and as soon as he realised that, he magically disappeared. Alexander opened his eyes and saw the ones he had betrayed.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I should not have trusted him. How could I be so blind? I disgraced my honour and the Order" he said sorrowfully while fighting for air.

"Sshh! Just hold on!" Lara told him and took a bandage from her backpack.

"No, you're wasting time. It's too late" Alexander managed to say. They looked at him with sadness and pity.

"Kurtis… I… I want _you_ to end this… End my life" he said although he was choked by his own blood that was flowing from his mouth.

"What?"

"Just do it. I'm done. I deserve this. I'm going to die after all, just more painfully which I deserve. But dying by a Nephilim is something I never wished" Alexander said with tears flowing down his cheeks.

"No! I'm not gonna kill you!" Kurtis said with sorrow and despair.

"I prefer to die by you than by Karel or anyone else. Just do it" Alexander ordered. "Take it as my last wish" he spoke again, trying to lighten the atmosphere but failed.

Kurtis hesitated for a while. After some thinking, he took his Glaive and activated its blades. He raised it and with a loud scream of sorrow he stabbed his own mentor. He violently raised it again and stabbed him harder this time. Then he realised that Alexander was no longer there. His constant fight for breath had ceased. He had begun a long journey.

Kurtis felt distress and rage as soon as he realised that. He kept stabbing Alexander's corpse violently over and over again, even though there was no purpose of it anymore. Being overtaken by shock, he couldn't stop.

Lara realised that and stopped him immediately. She quickly kneeled beside him and grabbed Kurtis' arms tightly.

"Kurtis stop! He's dead!" she yelled at him.

He threw his Chirugai away and she embraced him tightly in order to calm him down. He embraced her too. Then he grabbed her shoulders and held her so tightly that it almost hurt.

"I'm gonna slaughter him, you hear me?" he said wrathfully. Lara just looked at him with eyes reflecting sadness and caressed him on the cheek, trying to make him feel calmer. She didn't know what to say. She helped him stand up. Suddenly, the ground tore a hole beneath their feet. Lara was about to fall into it but Kurtis held her at the exact right time.

"Don't let go!" he screamed at her.

She tried so hard not to let go of his arms. He tried to lift her to the surface but something was pulling her down like a magnet. She wasn't able to hold on anymore. Kurtis couldn't hold her anymore. She finally fell, swallowed into the ground.

"LARA!" he screamed.

She hadn't heard him. She had fallen into the void…


	21. Into The Crypt

**Hello and thank you for reviewing! Next chapter up now! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 20: Into The Crypt<strong>

_My mistakes caused much pain. But I never knew that they would affect that war so considerably. I'm a mortal but I have seen things that not even a god has. I have felt the essence of death beneath my skin. I'm a witness of a damned war. This used to cause me pain. But it doesn't anymore. I've become stronger, I can feel no more pain. I've become emotionless. I won't care if I kill someone that has helped me in the past. I've lost my compassion towards people. Every human part of me has faded away. I've become cold and tough just to survive this war. There was no other way. I had to let go of everything that used to remind of Lara Croft…_

_Lara Croft_

Lara gained her consciousness. She woke up but she couldn't move. As soon as she did, she felt an unbearable pain that made her scream in agony. She felt that she had broken her legs and possibly her ribs too. The pain became more piercing. She couldn't move and defend herself in case an enemy approached.

_The potions,_ she remembered. Saphira had given her two. She searched her backpack and found one of them. She opened it and drank it at one gulp. It left a bitter taste in her mouth. She hoped it would work. After a while, she took the risk to move her legs again. She closed her eyes to bear the pain but she felt nothing. She moved her legs in a more lively manner and was glad to realise that the potion had worked. She had been cured.

She stood up vigorously and decided to explore the place and hopefully find a way out. The place reminded her of her old life as a restless Tomb Raider. She would kill to raid one more tomb, just to get this feeling of excitement again.

As she was walking, the place was becoming darker. Fortunately, she found a torch, its fire illuminating the corners of this godforsaken place. She took it from the wall to enlighten her way. Sparks of its fire were annoying Lara's eyes but she tried to ignore them.

She walked for about five minutes. Then she noticed that the ground became a little flooded. The water was a little lower than Lara's knees. She continued her search when she found a wooden door.

"I hope this won't get me into trouble" she spoke to herself.

She took her gun and with a sudden kick, she knocked it down and aimed threateningly. The sight in front of her made her gasp in surprise. She just couldn't believe her eyes.

It was Abraham Cornelius, lying on the watery floor, dead. His blood had changed the water's colour from transparent to crimson. She approached the dead body and touched his skin. It was very cold. The blood seemed to be there for several days. It wasn't fresh.

"He didn't die recently. But how's that possible? I spoke to him not long ago".

She tried to solve this mystery. When she found the answer, she looked at her reflection in the red water sorrowfully.

"You were a pawn all along" she said to her reflection.

_~Revelation III~_

_"He's already-" a strong clatter interrupted him. Wild screams could be heard from outside the door._

_"Go, Miss Croft. Get out from the back door" Cornelius ordered._

_"What about you?" Lara asked him._

_"Don't worry about me, young girl. Just go. You're our only hope" Cornelius told her._

_"But-"_

_"Go, I'll be fine. Your life is more precious than mine" Abraham insisted._

_Lara grabbed her cloak and searched for the back door._

_She found it and got out of the building._

_Suddenly, the banging stopped. The howls silenced. Cornelius had now turned into a totally different form. It was a blond man with strange symbols on his pale skin…_

_~End of Revelation III~_

"It was Karel…" Lara whispered to herself.

She stared at the carcass a little longer than she intended to. Then she turned and walked out of the room. She closed the door behind her and marched away.

She was checking her equipment while she was walking. Suddenly, she realised that the Crystal Shard wasn't hanged on her belt anymore. After a while, she remembered. It was dropped when she fell into the void and it fell beside her partner. She hoped that Kurtis would take notice of the Shard and would prevent it from falling into the wrong hands… again… She checked her backpack. She had one more potion left.

Out of the blue, she heard a creepy howl behind her that caused a pain to Lara's ears. She turned rapidly and faced a horrid monster. With the torch on her left hand, she tried to frighten it by using its fire but it didn't work. With her right hand, she took her pistol and aimed at it. It was still screaming, ready to attack her. She shot it several times but the bullets didn't cause any damage.

"Damnit!" she cursed. She fired at it again and again but it rapidly assaulted her and she fell. The torch was dropped in the water and its fire was extinguished. Consequently, the place became darker. Lara stood up, taking her second pistol with her left hand and kept shooting until the monster finally fell on the ground.

"That was too easy!" she said proudly but then she remembered what happened to her beloved partner when he underestimated his enemy. _Just in case…_ she wisely thought. She took a knife hidden in her right boot and stabbed the monster three times to make sure it was dead. She washed it in the water and she put in back in her boot.

After a lot of exploration, she found some stairs. She climbed them up and they led her to a big, marble door. She pushed it with all her strength but it wouldn't budge. Then she noticed the symbols on it. There was a map on the door. She studied it carefully and it led her to a corridor right next to the door. The corridor ended up to a wall which had a rope getting out of it, its edge on the ground. She pulled it and heard a noise like a big object was slouched. She returned to the door and saw that it had opened.

With a smile on her face, she exited the crypt.


	22. Yearning for Revenge

**Chapter 21: Yearning for Revenge**

_I don't consider myself a hero, I never did. But I'm definitely not a coward. At least not anymore. I tried to overcome my dark past. I tried to ignore the scars of life and fight. I completed the important task my father left incomplete, when he died. Right now, I don't know who I'm fighting for. My purpose is gone. I've lost myself into the shadows, as always._

_Kurtis Trent_

The void seemed so deep. No one seemed to be able to survive such suffocating emptiness, such great fall. The darkness seemed so unbearable now. Devotion was smothered. But he would never accept the huge possibility of Lara's demise.

He noticed that the Crystal Shard had been dropped beside him. He took it and studied it. Then he put it in his pocket. With a last glance at the big hole on the ground, he stood up. His eyes fell on Saphira's lifeless body, just some steps away from him. He stared at her pitifully and then walked away to face his enemy. He had to feed this hunger burning deep inside of him: Revenge.

He searched the huge tower. The sky was becoming instantly bright due to the lighting. After its effect, darkness again. Once he found the one he had been looking for, he took his gun and fired two bullets. His enemy turned to face him and laughed at Kurtis' action. A Nephilim couldn't be damaged so easily. Especially a strong one, like Karel.

"Kurtis! Glad to see you're still alive" Karel said with a tone of amusement. "Glad to know that I'll be the last one you'll face before you die'" Kurtis replied wrathfully. "We'll see about that" his enemy said.

They looked at each other furiously. Rage had filled their minds. They had left a previous battle unfinished. It was a business that had to be finished.

The Nephilim struck strong, green lightning towards his enemy but the Lux Veritatis changed its direction with an invisible force and it struck the walls. Kurtis was about to punch him but he ended up punching the air. Karel mysteriously vanished. Kurtis looked around to localise him but he could find him nowhere. All of a sudden, he was struck on the head and he collapsed on the ground. He was grabbed with a violent way by his enemy. Karel found Kurtis' healing potions.

"Saphira provided you with her services, I see" he said and took the two potions. He threw them with force on the ground and they shone a light mist as the broke. As soon as it faded, Kurtis saw the glass containers in pieces and the liquid spilled on the ground. Then, he got punched hard on the jaw. Kurtis had a painful look on his face but he refused to scream in pain and give such satisfaction to his enemy. Karel punched him several times 'till Kurtis' face had blood on it. The taste of his own blood made him furious but he felt too weak to react. Then, Karel pulled him his hair to face him.

"You are tough, Kurtis. But you have to learn to estimate your enemies' power" he said and punched him one more time. Kurtis felt weak at that point. "You're a nothing" his enemy yelled at him and punched him so hard that Kurtis fell violently on the ground. Karel took the same knife with which he had killed Saphira and Alexander. He kneeled and raised it in the air.

"It's over, Heissturm. Say goodbye to this merciless world" he said loudly.

Kurtis opened his eyes and saw that his enemy was ready to take his own life away. He wouldn't make it so easy for him though. At the exact right time, Kurtis rolled and dodged the stab. He stood up and walked towards Karel. Karel tried to hit him again but Kurtis avoided his hit and punched him hard. He punched him again so hard that he made him fall on the ground. He grabbed Karel's head with a violent way and hit it on the ground again and again. Then Kurtis pulled his enemy's head to face him and the sight he saw startled him. Karel had blood on his face. But his blood was so black that it somehow confirmed the darkness that was lying inside his mind.

"I will get my revenge…" said Kurtis with hatred.

He took his Chirugai and activated its blades. There was a satisfied look on his face. He raised his trustful Glaive in the air.

Kurtis was about to stab his eternal enemy. However, something prevented him from killing Karel. He didn't know what happened next. He saw blinding, green light that made him lose his vision temporarily. The next thing he saw after he had gained his vision was his enemy outstretching his arm. As soon as he did so, Kurtis was thrown on the ground violently. Then Karel stood up and walked toward him. Kurtis was breathing heavily after the strong hit he had received. Karel put his hand on Kurtis' head.

The next things that happened were a journey to Hell and back. Kurtis saw his life passing before his eyes. The recent events that had taken place were more vivid. He saw himself fighting in Berlin as the blood-red moon was ascending, he saw the darkness that had swallowed him after the Great Battle, he saw himself being tortured, his escape with the help of Alexander, his search for Lara, the moment when he finally saw her after a long time, their visit to the monastery, being hunted by Nephilim creatures, he felt Lara's warm flesh against his, he saw their visit to Saphira, the events to the Real World and back, the fortress and the Angel, the ascension of the tower and finally the time he let Lara fall because he couldn't hold her anymore.

Kurtis felt his mind being melted. The pain was so piercing and unbearable. Then Karel stopped tormenting him after he had seen Kurtis' past. He collapsed on the ground, weaker than ever.

"I still remember when the Black Alchemist slaughtered your father. I was there too" Karel said. Kurtis looked at him with much hatred and sorrow. "I was the one who tortured him before he begged for his life" he went on. "You're lying! My father would never beg for his life…" Kurtis yelled at him. He knew his father would never beg his enemy for mercy. Noy any Lux Veritatis would. "Then the Black Alchemist slaughtered him to death. I can still hear his screams of agony before he got chocked with his own blood" Karel said.

Kurtis couldn't hear of it anymore. He stood up, full of rage and attempted to hit him but he was thrown away by an invisible force. He shut his eyes, feeling endless pain. Then he opened them again. The next moments were blur. However, he was sure that he saw Lara hitting Karel when he suddenly disappeared. After that, he let his blue eyes close.

Lara approached him and kneeled beside him. She saw that his face was full of crimson blood. He touched his face. "Come on, Kurt!" she called with anxiety. He didn't respond. "Come on, Kurt! Please, hold on" she said again but Kurtis had still his eyes closed. She leaned closer to him. "Don't leave me" she whispered. She was ready to burst into tears although she didn't want to let herself reach such a weak point. She was relieved when she realised that Kurtis had opened his eyes.

"You scared me, you know that?" she said smiling. She noticed that his potions had been destroyed by Karel. She had one more left. She took it from her backpack. "Drink it" she told him. Kurtis realised her intentions. "No. You're gonna need this" he refused stubbornly. "Kurtis, you're the one who needs it now. Just do it" she ordered. He still didn't take it. "I won't be needing this. Do you trust me?" she asked him.

It was not that he had never trusted her enough in such situations. He just wouldn't abide by her rules as she seemed to care about him more than about herself. He was not suspicious of her betrayal, he only wanted to assure her safety, rather than his. They had lived so many things together, he couldn't run the risk of losing her. But this time, he had to accept her helping hand.

He didn't need to vocalise his reply. His move had said it all. He took it and drank it. She smiled and helped him get up.

The next thing that happened made them look in terror. Huge masses of Nephilim and other unidentified creatures appeared in front of them. They were horrid and made disgusting howls.

There was nothing more to be done. The tower had no way out, or even if it did, time was needed in order to search. They were surrounded. They had no other choice but fight…


	23. Shadows Of The Dark Era

** Hello everyone..! Here's the next chapter, describing the final battle! Surprises are far from over, though...! ;-) And as always:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, they belong to Eidos! Events mentioned in this chapter were hard to describe, I hope I didn't make any mistakes, if so, do let me know so I can fix them! Thank you for your reviews and hope you like this chapter! =)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 22: Shadows Of The Dark Era<strong>

The huge masses of ugly creatures were ready to attack. They were thirsty for fresh blood. They had to accommodate their need of killing. They were made for this purpose after all. With a last glance at each other, Lara Croft and Kurtis Trent drew their weapons, ready to fight either it led them to victory or to their bitter end.

Lara screamed loudly and fired her weapons, aiming at the monsters with her dual pistols. Kurtis activated his Chirugai and let it spin in the air, offering protection to both of them. He took his own gun and started shooting the ugly beings. They were hardly causing any damage to them. There were way too many of those cursed beings. They kept running and shooting at the same time. Their cooperation with each other was perfect, as if they were talking about what to do without uttering a single word. As they were shooting, with Kurtis' Chirugai spinning around them and shining its strange orange light, Lara jumped laterally and Kurtis rolled beneath her while she was in the air. After they changed battle positions, they started shooting again and managed to kill many of them

They had killed the most of them but more masses approached. Lara nodded at Kurtis as he was loading his gun. He understood her nod. She loaded her pistols too. When the masses came closer, they started shooting. Their aim wasn't at the masses though. It was at the stony ceiling. They made it collapse on the huge masses to delay them; their plan had worked. Then, they started running the opposite direction. As they were running fast, the ground changed level and became a downhill. They slided and when they saw Nephilim creatures in front of them, they fired their pistols again. After that, they reached the ground level.

With guns loaded once again, they kept shooting. They had killed a great amount of monsters but there were still some creatures left, threatening to take their lives away and satisfy their master. Both warriors had gotten exhausted and couldn't fight with the same mightiness and pace that they had fought before. The ugly creatures encircled Lara and Kurtis with a threatening manner. They were ready to end their thirst for blood.

Suddenly, Kurtis' mind flashed. Millions of thoughts filled it. He felt a strange emotion and he knew what it was. The Heissturm Blood running through his veins gave him a message. It was like the previous generations were speaking to him. He was thinking a way out of this dead end when whispers echoed in his ears. He was told the way to get out of this mess.

"The Crystal Shard…" he heard a voice whispering. After that, past events of his Order's history passed before his eyes. It was the dark history before and after Christ's birth. He witnessed the might of pure evil and saw epic battles of the early members of the Cabal and the Lux Veritatis taking place in split second. Then he widened his eyes. _The Crystal Shard,_ he thought. He remembered when Lara stabbed Karel with it but did nothing. _A weapon of light,_ he thought again. Prophecies flashed through his mind; he had found the solution.

"It had been used the wrong way all along" he whispered to himself.

He took it out of his pocket and stared at it while he was holding it in his hands. It was sparkling and he could feel its crystalline power. Afterwards, he turned to Lara and gripped her arm so she could face him. He gently held her head with his left hand. Their faces were only a few inches away and they could feel each other's breath.

"Do you trust me?" Kurtis asked her. "Of course I do" she immediately replied with certainty.

His eyes were full of affection and Lara could see the love he had for her but kept hiding. Lara was affected by that. Kurtis could see that her eyes reflected how strongly she loved him. "Lara, I'm so sorry" he said with a calm voice. "Kurtis… What…?" she wasn't able to say something more than that. He held the Crystal Shard in his right palm tightly as he was holding Lara's face with his left hand.

"I love you" he told her, meaning every single word of his sentence. "I love you too" she replied affectionately, ignoring the horrid mess all around both of them.

The next thing that happened couldn't be predicted. Nephilim creatures had surrounded them, howling loudly. Lara's body jolted. She didn't know what that was. She could only feel coldness. She looked deep into Kurtis' blue eyes. They were full of pain and remorse, tears threatening to fall. The she looked down. Her stomach was full of blood. The Crystal Shard was stabbed in her. It was held by Kurtis' hand. She looked into his eyes again. He pulled the Crystal Shard out of her as gently as he could. She exhaled her last breath and collapsed on the ground, lifeless.

Kurtis kneeled beside Lara's body. He caught a last glimpse of the ugly creatures. Then he raised the Crystal Shard with his right hand and stabbed himself below the chest. He let his blood flow on the ground as it moistened Lara's soft, pale skin. He pulled the Shard out violently. Then he watched his blood flowing out of his wound and he fell on the ground…

The Nephilim creatures got closer to them. But Lara and Kurtis couldn't hear their howls anymore. Their souls had gone into another place. They were desperately searching for Salvation…

**A/N: The End...! (No, just joking!) :P Lara and Kurtis never die...!** **=)**


	24. Angels And Demons

**Chapter 23: Angels And Demons**

The tower of the Castle of Obscurity was standing proudly, its peak touching the dark skies.

The skies got instantly illuminated with lightning, skies flying above souls that had never seen pure light. Until that very day. The events that had just taken place were still haunting this Dark World. Those shadows had become so suffocating that the Light of Truth had to interfere…

Magnificent, flying beings descended from the skies and invaded the Castle. Angels were the only thing that reminded of life in this world of death. They found the Castle ruled by darkness. They gathered and got ready to send the creatures of hell where they belonged. With their shining wings, they shone bright, white light. Nephilim creatures were screaming at the Angels threateningly. But Angels were not afraid. They were very pure and the only feeling that was dwelling inside them was harmony, not fear, nor despair. The Angels shone so strong a light that it blinded the dark creatures. Afterwards, they attacked the demons. The demons were turned into dust as soon as they were touched by an Angel's wing. The Angels had a sphere of light in their hands. With that, they struck the Nephilim creatures and the demons of hell. No Angel had fallen in this battle. However, every single dark demon had fallen and swallowed by death.

The Angels started singing a harmonious and sorrowful at the same time song. Their angelic voices seemed to bring peace to the whole place. After that, the Angels approached two fallen warriors; a man and a woman. They were covered with blood. They had died in vain.

"They were sacrificed for the sake of the New Era" said one of the Angels. Their faces looked so peaceful as if they had just been born and no sorrow had ever touched their souls. They gathered and shaped a big circle around Lara and Kurtis. They entwined their wings and sang an anthem. Their anthem seemed to bring hope back to life…

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><p>Lara woke up in an unfamiliar environment. She stood up and saw that it was still dark. <em>Where am I?<em> she mentally asked herself. She looked around and faced a mirror. She approached it with slow steps and saw her reflection. She didn't feel proud at all. She only felt emptiness, maybe indifference too. After a while, the mirror started bleeding. Lara was startled by that. Afterwards, her reflection disappeared and the bleeding mirror was broken, its glass shattered in millions of pieces.

Lara turned around and faced Kurtis in front of her. He was looking at her sorrowfully. She had a sad look on her face too. They got close to each other with slow steps until they were able to hold each other's hands. Feeling each other's presence made the place look a bit brighter. "What happened?" she asked him sadly. "We ended the Shadow War" he replied her warmly.

Then she understood that the Shard had been used the wrong way. It was destined to spill blood but not a Nephilim's blood… This whole matter seemed a bit incomprehensible to her right now. For her, only one question needed immediate answer.

"Are we dead?" she questioned him. "I would never sacrifice you for _my_ war…" he answered her, indicating that they were somehow still alive. "What about Karel?" she asked concerned. "You'll be surprised to see who took care of him" he answered with a smile, being totally aware of the fact that his actions had called the Angels of Heaven. "Is this even real?" she wondered. Kurtis held her face close to his. "Who cares? It's ours" he said to her calmly.

Then he did what he yearned to do. He kissed her with so much love and affection that his kiss brought tears in Lara's eyes. She kissed him back with the same affection. Shadows and hypnotising lights surrounded both of them. They kept kissing each other like it was the last time they would see each other. Their souls were only filled with love. Only love, nothing else. They were both wounded and exhausted, they didn't even know if this was real. But they didn't care. The feelings they had for each other were so real that they could overcome even death.

They broke off their affectionate kiss and kept looking deep into each other's eyes. The love they had for each other was reflected in their eyes. The shadows disappeared. The lights faded away. But this vivid feeling still remained in their souls. Kurtis felt once again hypnotised by her dark eyes. Lara couldn't move. She was trapped in his piercing blue eyes.

"Close your eyes" he whispered.

She closed her eyes, feeling so safe because of the fact that he was with her. He embraced her very tightly.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared. It brough peace and hope within, like it was sent from Heaven. It surrounded both of them and took them away from their peaceful and serene moment…

Lara opened her eyes only to find herself lost in a void, a blissful void; Light…


	25. The New Era

**Here I am, with a incredibly small chapter..! :S However, I hope you enjoy the final end..! There is one more chapter left (excluding this one) and the epilogue! So, we've almost reached the end..! Well, I hope you enjoy this one! The next ones coming soon! =)**

**Inspiration Song: Nothing Left by the band Delain (ft. Marco Hietala)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 24: The New Era<strong>

Lara opened her brown eyes. Exhaustion overtook her body but she tried to remain conscious. She stared at bright beings above her head. _Angels,_ she thought. Their wings were sparkling and enlightening this dark place.

Kurtis opened his blue eyes. He had no idea were he was. He was still in alertness. He tried to react but the sight of the bright Angels prevented him from doing so.

"Calm down. Everything is alright" the Angels reassured both of them. With an invisible force which derived from their wings, they gave them strength and helped them stand up.

Lara let her eyes wander around the place. There was not a single demon around. Only Angels were overcrowding the place which was no longer dark. She looked at Kurtis who was also observing the place with the same admiration. Then he looked at her and smiled peacefully. She returned the gesture.

"It's over" she whispered to him. He smiled and nodded to her positively.

"Come on" said one of the plentiful Angels.

"Where to?" asked Lara with a calm and serene tone.

"To the New World" the Angel replied confidently.

Angels were floating in the air, spreading the Light of Truth everywhere. Lara and Kurtis were walking in front of them. Their steps were full of certainty and determination. Their eyes reflected a sense of victory. It was over. There was nothing left anymore. It was time to leave…

Kurtis Trent and Lara Croft walked beneath the dark skies and the white Angels were following them, announcing the victory of Light. Then the Angels stopped and their action made Lara and Kurtis stop too.

"It's time for you to go home" the Angels told them. "What about this place?" asked Lara. "It will be still affecting the Real World. Evil is not totally defeated. But you have just saved the world from its certain destruction" the Angels replied. "What about the Crystal Shard?" asked Kurtis. "It is very powerful. We intend to take it with us to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. This will be the best for humanity" the Angels replied.

"Time to go back home" the Angels stated.

Suddenly, a bright light surrounded both Lara and Kurtis. They closed their eyes as it was too bright for them. The skies were torn apart and the Angels ascended in the skies. The light still remained. This place was no longer dark. The darkness had been swallowed by light. There was nothing that reminded of death in this place anymore. It was full of light.

When they opened their eyes nothing was visible. Nothing but bright light.

They closed their eyes again and they were overtaken by Light into the New World…

_The Shadow War is finally over. Salvation has descended from the Heavens to the earth. Humanity is rescued. However, darkness is not totally defeated. New wars are about to occur, the core of hell is still releasing its shadows ,day by day. But the light is strong enough to conflict them as they are far too weak. The evil of today's era is trapped in the portals of darkness._

_It is not over though. It may have just begun. If humans repeat the same mistakes or indulge in great sins such as Adam and Eva, the world will fall apart. The dark gates are going to be opened wide and then, they will be able to unleash dark forces. When the darkness recovers, it will attempt to swallow the world again. Whether it succeeds or not, it depends on humanity._

_The time of crisis will arrive in 35 years from now. Then it will be decided if the humans, the beings who live in the middle of Good and Evil, in the middle of the war between Light and Darkness, belong to Light or Darkness..._

_It's in their hands._

_Do they want to be led by Light?_

_Or do they want to be swallowed in Darkness…_


	26. A Bitter Goodbye

**Chapter 25: A Bitter Goodbye**

They were lying on the floor of a magnificent church. The bells were clanging happily. The daylight was breaking through the windows. Kids laughing happily could be heard.

Lara woke up from her oblivion. She had a terrible headache and felt exhausted. She examined her environment. _How did I come here?_ she wondered. As soon as she remembered, she smiled. She searched around to find Kurtis. He was nowhere to be seen. She searched more carefully and finally found him standing in front of the big gates of the church which were wide open. He was staring at the sunlight. She stepped towards him. She felt a wave of serenity rise inside her as soon as she faced the sunlight. Then she put her hand on his shoulder.

"It's over" she said calmly. "No. It has just begun…" he replied coldly and calmly at the same time. She pulled his arm so he could face her. "What do you mean?" she asked him, alarmed.

Suddenly a man interrupted their discussion. He was bald and wore a brown cassock. "May I help you?" he asked willingly. "Yes! Where are we?" Lara asked in a lively manner. "In… a church…" the man replied confused. "In which country?" asked Kurtis. The man stared at them as if he was talking to aliens. "Italy, of course. Venice" he finally replied.

Lara and Kurtis looked at each other more confused this time. "What are we doing in Italy?" asked Lara. "How am I supposed to know? Ask His angels" Kurtis replied sarcastically, nodding to the skies, referring to the great Lord. The man didn't know what to say. He just stood and stared at them, still confused. Finally Lara and Kurtis walked out of the church.

Then the man wore his hood, revealing the skin of his arms as his sleeves slid. His skin was pale and there were strange symbols on it. The man slightly smiled and walked away, into the church. After a while, he was nowhere to be seen…

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><p>Lara and Kurtis were just outside the aircraft base. Kurtis had his contacts. He managed to find a helicopter and with his pilot licenses, he would be given the permission to fly to New York.<p>

There was silence, but it didn't last for long. "What are your plans from now on?" Lara asked him, taking a solemn and a bit sad look. "Not a damn clue" he replied with the same tone of sadness. "What about you?" he asked. "Oh, you know me! I'll stay here to explore Italy for a while. Then I'll return to England and I'll start raiding tombs again. Zip and Winston are already in Surrey" she said with a smile.

The fact that she would return to her Tomb Raider self made her cheerful. In addition, the fact that she would see her enormous home again made her full of joy. But whenever she thought that she would never see Kurtis again, she felt desperately miserable. But they had to move on and live their separate lives. When they decided to become partners, they had agreed that their partnership would last 'till the end of the Shadow War. Now the Shadow War was already over so practically there was no reason for them to be together. Or was there…?

They kept looking into each other's eyes for about a minute. "Look I really have to go now" Kurtis managed to say. "I know, I'm sorry for delaying you" she told him sorrowfully. "No, you're not delaying me" he said.

Lara sighed but she couldn't make the sadness abandon her soul. "Goodbye and… Take care of yourself" she said sorrowfully. He put his hand on her face to comfort her. She looked at him with eyes full of sadness. It was painful for Kurtis to see her so hurt. He narrowed the distance between their faces, but just a little bit. "See ya soon!" he told her like he had just told her a secret.

Suddenly, a wave of hope rose inside her. He took a couple of steps backwards and then he stopped. He looked into her brown eyes. "Take care" he told her and walked away. She kept staring at him until he got into the massive aircraft base. Lara sighed again and walked away from the base.

Lara felt tears flowing on her cheeks. She felt as if everything she loved was taken away from her. She felt desperate and then found herself having the urge to run to him, embrace him and never let him go. But their deal had determined their lives otherwise.

She walked away without looking back. She had to contact Zip again and tell him to schedule a flight for her in a week from now. She had to find a hotel and stay there so she could explore Italy, like she wanted to. No, she had no reason to be sad. She had new adventures to live. She had a new life to live…


	27. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_A month has gone by since I got out of the Dark World. Maybe a little more than that. It feels like a lifetime though. What's wrong with me? I wanted to end the Shadow War and now that it's over, I want it again. If the Shadow War is the only way to be with him then I'd rather fight forever. I'm sick of my life when he's away. Being separated never worked out. I feel desperately miserable. But I never let it show. When a new day begins, I'm full of joy and willingness to live a new adventure. But when the darkness falls, I feel empty. Sometimes I cry alone and some nights I can't sleep. I feel him beside me. I see his reflection in the mirror. But it doesn't matter now. There is no reason for us to meet again. Time will heal me. I have to live my life and forget it. I have to forget him._

_I'm gonna let it go…_

_Lara Croft_

Lara Croft returned to her home in Surrey. It was a little more than a month since she had returned from Italy. She had been searching many archaeological sites with Zip's assistance and had searched for various relics. And whenever she stayed at home, she practised all day long. She had returned to her usual rhythms of life. However, she felt a constant emptiness inside her. The satisfaction she was receiving every time she found a rare relic wasn't enough to fill her emptiness. Something was wrong in her life. Something was missing…

At nights, Lara could hardly sleep. She might feel strong when the daylight touched her face but at nights she revealed her real self. She took off her disguise when no one was watching her. She closed her eyes, trying to sleep but something inside her was devouring her soul. She even caught herself searching for him in the bed every morning she woke up. Sometimes, she woke up in the middle of the night. She felt his presence. She wondered to herself if he was around. Was he even trying to find her? Did he even miss her at all? She looked in the mirror and she faced him instead of her reflection. She felt his touch on her skin but when she turned to face him, he was nowhere to be seen and that warm touch faded away. She was calling his name in her sleep. She was dreaming of him every night. She was thinking of him everyday. This month was depressing for her although she would never let it show.

_Time will make me forget him._

She tried to believe that but she knew she would never forget him. He would always haunt her mind…

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><p><em>My purpose is over. At least for now. But instead of being happy I feel fucking miserable. I try to move on but something holds me back. Something makes me dwell in the past. And the cause of it all: Lara Croft.<em>

_There is no reason to go find her. There is nothing more that has to be done with her. She helped me end the Shadow War. But now there's now reason. I've promised myself to forget her. I'll keep that promise. I have to let her go. I have to move on. I'm a loner after all. I always have been and I always will be._

_I have to let her go…_

_Kurtis Trent_

Kurtis Trent went to New York City and stayed there for a month or a little more than that. He found a good apartment there which he could afford. He led his old life, the one he had before he meets the British archaeologist that had totally changed his life. He was focused on business and kept working for semi-legal agencies. He carried out his missions successfully. Then he would move on to a new one. That was his life this one month. He tried to keep his dark heritage buried and to use his special abilities as rarely as possible. However, he knew it was apparent that this wasn't working out. Kurtis Trent wasn't an ordinary man.

He kept feeling a strange void inside him. He had increased the number of cigarettes he was smoking per day. The satisfaction he was receiving every time he completed a mission wasn't enough to fill the void he felt inside him. He had to share that satisfaction with someone else. Only that this «someone else» wasn't there with him. He couldn't deny that he was missing her very much. He was just too selfish and stubborn to admit it and go find her. He knew inside him that the only thing he wanted to do was to find her, tell her how much he loved her, ask her to become his partner again and fight in this life together. But his selfishness was too great to allow such thing. He wouldn't waste his pride like that.

_I don't need her._

He kept saying that but he knew that he did nothing more but lie to himself…

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><p><em>São Paulo, Brazil<em>

Lara Croft had a new mission in South America. She was requested to indentify something. She was told that her expertise in strange creatures and her recent experience on demons would be useful for them. She was told that she would work with a man who had an admirable knowledge on demons. Lara always preferred to work alone but she would make an exception this time.

"Lara, this is the place" said Zip from her earphone. "Thank you, Zip. You can rest for a while. I can handle it from now on" she said cheerfully. "Okay. If you need anything, ring me" Zip advised Lara. "Will do" she replied joyfully.

She walked inside a huge building. It was overcrowded by many people, proficient to the subject. Then a team of experienced journalists walked beside her. They informed her about her quest. "Lady Croft. There is a strange creature inside this building. It was found dead this morning. Your opinion is asked as you are considered experienced enough at this field" she was told by one of the journalists. "Of course. Where is it?" she asked. "Haven't you been told Miss Croft? You will be working with a man who is particularly experienced at this field. He wants to meet his new partner before we all get to business" the journalist informed. "Alright then. Where could I find him?" Lara wanted to know.

She wanted to know her new partner too before she gets to business. They would spend a lot of time together due to the circumstances after all. "Second floor, to the third door on your left" the journalist said. "Thank you" Lara said politely and headed for the lift.

She got to the second floor and found the third door on her left. She tidied her messy hair with her hands. _Let's meet our new partner before the adventure begins,_ she thought cheerfully. She sighed and opened the door. She entered the room and closed the door behind her. She searched the room but no one seemed to be inside.

"Hello Lara" she heard a voice behind her.

The voice sounded familiar. Too familiar. She felt strangely. She felt a sparkle of hope inside her soul, a feeling she hadn't felt for a long time. She felt like she was dead and the sound of this voice resurrected her.

_American accent,_ she thought.

She was afraid to turn and face the man behind her but her soul desperately yearned to.

She finally turned and faced the one she thought that she would never see in her life again. She stared at the eyes she thought she would never get lost in again. She stood in shock as she faced the man who would be her partner in her new adventure.

"Kurtis…?"

**~THE END~**

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><p><strong>AN: Yeah, the epilogue is much longer than the two previous chapters...! Oh, well... :S**

**Anyway, this story has come to an end! =) I was really happy to post this fanfic, I really had a great time and I love being a member of the TR fanfiction community!**

**Special thanks to en-lumine, Metalgirl3135 and Angy1996 for their constant reviews and their great support! ;) I hope you all enjoyed this fanfic and that I didn't let you down...!**

**Well, that's all for now, see you next time! And have fun reading...! ;) ****For now, bye bye! xD**


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